Stampa

ELECTRICITY AND GAS: ANTITRUST AUTHORITY LAUNCHES INVESTIGATIONS INTO IRIDE GROUP AND HERA GROUP OVER POSSIBLE ABUSE OF DOMINANT POSITION


PRESS RELEASE



PRESS RELEASE



ELECTRICITY AND GAS: ANTITRUST AUTHORITY LAUNCHES INVESTIGATIONS INTO IRIDE GROUP AND HERA GROUP OVER POSSIBLE ABUSE OF DOMINANT POSITION


Proceedings decided upon following complaints lodged by Sorgenia. Obstruction alleged when customers want to change supplier or obtain measurement data in the liberalized markets for gas and electricity, to possible detriment of end customers who may not be able to choose the most cost-effective offer.

The Italian Competition Authority, at its meeting on 7 May, decided to launch two separate investigations into IRIDE and its subsidiaries AEM Torino Distribuzione SpA and Genova Rete Gas S.r.l., and into HERA and its subsidiary territorial operating companies Hera Bologna, Hera Ferrara, Hera Modena, Hera Forlì-Cesena, Hera Ravenna, Hera Rimini and Hera Imola-Faenza, to determine whether they abused their dominant position in their respective markets by way of conduct likely to hinder the ability of new entrants to compete in selling gas and electricity to domestic users and small businesses. The measures were notified today in the course of a number of inspections carried out in conjunction with the Special Units of the Guardia di Finanza (Fiscal Police).

The investigations, following on from those decided upon on 29 April to look into Italgas, Acea Distribuzione, A2A Reti Gas and A2A Reti Elettriche and their respective parent companies (ENI, ACEA and A2A), were prompted by a series of complaints lodged by Sorgenia in which that company claims the two industrial groups, by way of their distribution companies, assumed a consistently obstructionist and dilatory attitude in the procedures necessary for allowing customers to move to suppliers competing with their own subsidiaries in the sale of gas and electricity, thus hindering their entry into the liberalized markets and weakening their competitive positioning and capability. This is said to have allowed the sales arms of the integrated groups to retain their historic market shares in the local markets where the distributors operate.  


Rome, 12 May 2009