Lithuania fines Gazprom EUR 36 mln for monopoly
Gazprom has been fined by Lithuania under antitrust laws.
Lithuania has fined Russian Gazprom, saying that the company prevents competition in the Baltic state, the Russian daily media The Moscow Times wrote, June 10.
“The Lithuanian Competition Council has fined the largest natural gas extractor Gazprom EUR 36 mln for refusal to negotiate on a natural gas swap deal with the Lithuanian power producer Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba in July 2012,” according to the media.
Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba offered Gazprom to make a deal on the natural gas exchange for 2013-2015, as it found more favorable import conditions in Western Europe. According to the potential deal, a part of the gas transferred through Belarus and Poland was to be routed to Lietuvos Energijos. The missing volumes in Poland Lietuvos Energijos would cover by gas bought in Western Europe and Scandinavia, the Russian business daily Kommersant wrote.
“The EUR 36 mln fine is the biggest ever issued by the Lithuanian competition authority,” Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba’s spokesperson said.
