Poland Asks EU To Start Antitrust Proceedings Against Gazprom

The European Commission (EC) has sufficient grounds to immediately launch antitrust proceedings against Gazprom and must do it immediately, Polish Minister of Climate and Environment Anna Moskwa said in an interview with the national radio on Thursday.

“We strongly demand that an antitrust investigation be launched against Gazprom immediately,” she said.

“I will soon meet with the European Commissioner [for Energy] and will defend this stance. In our opinion, there are legal grounds that allow for launching this trial right now,” the minister said.

According to her, it concerns the excessive use of the role of the monopolist by the Russian gas giant. In particular, the European Commission could check the existing agreement between Gazprom and European countries, she noted.

“There are a lot of tools in the framework of an anti-monopoly investigation,” Moskwa added.

“It is not clear to us why now the EC does not see any arguments for launching such proceedings. We see them and will show them, prove and persuade the EC to react,” the minister said. She noted that Poland had submitted additional documents on this case to the EC in December. “We hope there will be enough of them,” she said.