The Competition Council announced that it has carried out unannounced inspections at the headquarters of Gaz South and at its work points in Bucharest, Ilfov, Ialomita and Brasov. The inspections were carried out in the framework of the investigation into a possible abuse of a dominant position of Gaz South on the market for services for the technical approvals of projects, reception and commissioning of natural gas usage facilities, according to a press release issued by the institution. “The investigation will analyze the possible imposition of unfair tariffs for the provision of those services to consumers who have connected to the gas supply system in the localities and geographical areas for which the company has a distribution license”, it is shown in the release.

Unannounced inspections are authorized by the Bucharest Court of Appeal and are justified by the need to obtain all the relevant information and documents in order to clarify the possible anticompetitive practice under consideration. The documents retained during the inspections are under the analysis of the Romanian competition authority, within the specific procedures of the investigation. “The unannounced inspections are a preliminary stage of the investigation and their performance do not represent a precursor to the Competition Council regarding the existence of a violation of the Competition Law”, said the officials of the Council.

Gaz Sud has actually begun its natural gas distribution activity in the second half of 2004, between 2001 and March 2004, the company was focusing mainly on the concession activities and investment in distribution networks. The company also specializes in the development of natural gas distribution networks, with ongoing investments in Ilfov County in eleven localities, where the company owns gas distribution concessions.