Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-07-04-Speech-2-271"
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"en.20060704.31.2-271"2
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".
As the Commission confirmed on 17 May 2006, it has indeed recently carried out on-the-spot inspections of a number of major energy companies in Europe. It is not possible to comment further on these ongoing investigations.
As you are aware, inspections are carried out under Articles 20 and 21 of the EC regulation and form a normal part of the Commission’s enforcement activities in the competition field. In general, inspections are carried out because the Commission has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated the anti-trust rules established in Articles 82 and 81 of the Treaty.
Article 28 of the regulation prohibits the Commission from disclosing information acquired during an inspection, except in limited circumstances. However, as required by Regulation (EC) No 1/2003, the Commission publishes all its decisions in due course.
The Commission is also carrying out a sectoral inquiry into competition conditions in the EU gas and electricity markets. This is a distinct exercise from the individual investigations and inspections to which the honourable Member refers, but the extensive information about the functioning of the energy markets that is gathered during the sectoral inquiry will of course help to inform any enforcement action taken by the Commission in individual cases.
The main preliminary findings of the sectoral inquiry were published in February 2006 and identified a number of existing barriers to competition. For example, national wholesale energy markets are still highly concentrated, with few new competitors entering the sector. There is also far too little integration between the national markets. Infrastructure and supply functions are so closely connected that it is difficult for new suppliers to enter the market, which means that consumers are denied choice. There is a lack of transparency, so new competitors also cannot get hold of the information. They need to get a foot in the door.
Finally, prices do not appear to respond to changes in supply and demand. Tackling these problems will require a combination of regulatory and structural reform and robust enforcement of competition rules. The Commission is committed to taking any necessary enforcement action if that proves justified.
The sectoral inquiry will be completed by the end of the year. The Commission will then decide whether any further measures are required in order to improve competition conditions in the gas and electricity markets. The information gathered through the sectoral inquiry will also play an important role in the ongoing formulation of a common European energy policy, as agreed by the spring European Council.
The Commission is also conducting a review on implementation of the European regulatory measures in the energy sector. This work is being led by the Commissioner in charge of energy, Mr Piebalgs, and the Commission will report to Parliament and to the Council at the turn of the year. That report will also reflect on any further action that is needed to complete the integration of Europe’s energy markets.
All the information gathered during the sectoral inquiry and the review of implementation of the liberalisation directives, together with other information received through consultation with the stakeholders, will of course play a key part in the formulation of a common European energy policy."@en1
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