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Gazprom, EC to discuss antimonopoly probe in coming weeks

BRUSSELS, May 29. /TASS/. Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Gazprom Alexander Medvedev and Competition Commissioner of the European Commission (EC) Margrethe Vestager agreed to discuss findings of EC market tests within the antimonopoly probe settlement case in coming weeks, the Russian gas holding said on Monday.

"We held fruitful talks with Ms. Vestager and the delegation of the European Commission. We agreed to continue talks at the technical level in coming weeks to evaluate findings of the market test. I hope this will make possible to progress within the procedure framework and complete the settlement process in near future," Medvedev said.

Ongoing antimonopoly probe of Gazprom’s operations in Central and East Europe was discussed during today’s talks, Gazprom said.

The official antimonopoly probe was initiated on the basis of complaints of Lithuanian authorities to the EC on September 4, 2012. The investigation is carried out in the Baltic States, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria. Under the European law, the penalty for violation of the antimonopoly regulations may reach 10% of the annual turnover of the company on the market.

Russian and European sources reported earlier that the parties are now trying to reach a mutually acceptable out-of-court decision, which does not imply penalties.