Warsaw demands imposing an antimonopoly fine on Gazprom about $ 10 billion. And take on new obligations for work in Europe, while the European Commission believes that the Russian company must pay either a fine or honor obligations. According to political analysts, the EC will not want to make claims to Gazprom, writes on Thursday, May 18, "The newspaper. RU".
The head of the Polish state-owned oil and gas company PGNiG, Pyotr Wozniak, said that the Russian gas holding had violated European antimonopoly regulations for several years.
"The violations of Gazprom are long-term and serious. They led to serious violations in the gas market in Central Europe. This applies to both competition in the gas market and the financial losses of consumers, "said Wozniak. PGNiG accuses Gazprom, including in the segmentation of the market, overstating prices for blue fuel and abuse of its control over infrastructure.
According to the Pole, the EC is obliged not only to punish the Russian company financially and create competitive conditions in the gas market, but also impose "additional obligations" on it, such as: "Gazprom" should give contractors the right to establish a price formula with reference to European markets once; Provide an opportunity for arbitration verification of this price. Also, a revision of the "take-or-pay" conditions is proposed, reducing the mandatory fuel volumes.
The most amazing thing is that today's statement of Wozniak sounded just the day after European Commissioner for Competition Margret Vestager reported that the EU gas market will benefit from the settlement of the conflict without a fine.
Recall antitrust investigation against Gazprom, the European Commission began in 2012. And goes in three directions: the division of the Russian gas market monopoly by "hampering free gas supplies to EU countries"; "Creation of obstacles to diversification of gas supplies"; Imposing "unfair prices on their consumers by linking gas prices to the cost of oil".
In 2013 year. The EC was told that if the violations were proven, then Gazprom could face a fine of at least $ 15 billion. , But in March 2017 it became known that the European Commission and the Russian giant intend to reach a compromise.
According to the expert of the National Energy Security Fund, political scientist Igor Yushkov, the EC is unlikely to change its position and apply a fine to Gazprom, while demanding to change the scheme of work in European markets. "Brussels is now trying to demonstrate its impartiality and formalism.
But if he accepts the demands of Poland, it turns out that the European Commission has taken the "anti-Gazprom" position, and it can be accused of bias, "Yuskov said..
And this, in spite of that, the political scientist noted, that the last steps speak about the rapprochement of the positions of the EC and Gazprom,. Warsaw, on the other hand, plays not so much specifically against Gazprom, but against Russia as a whole, the expert said.. He believes that Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are now positioning themselves as defenders of Europe from Moscow.