The Competition Council launched two Investigations in the Electricity Distribution Market

The Competition Council initiated, ex officio, two investigations aiming at a possible abusive behavior of the companies Distribuţie Energie Electrică România SA and, respectively, Distribuție Energie Oltenia SA, on the electricity distribution market related to the geographical areas for which the two operators have a distribution license. 

The competition authority has indications regarding the involvement of distribution operators in the process of changing the electricity supplier, in order to favor the supply companies within the group to which they belong (Electrica, respectively CEZ), to the detriment of their competitors.

"The suspected behavior has the potential to affect competition in the electricity supply market, as well as consumers, final customers of electricity. Such behavior is particularly harmful, especially in the context of the liberalization process that Romania has implemented in recent years, which involves the transition from a regulated market to a competitive one. In fact, we are monitoring the liberalization process and we have warned the distribution companies not to impede the migration of customers ”said Bogdan Chirițoiu, President of the Competition Council.

In this context, the Competition Council carried out unannounced inspections at the headquarters of some companies within the Electrica and CEZ groups, in the cities of Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Brașov, Ploiești and Craiova.