The Competition Authority ordered Tuesday Add to list of values Add to Portfolio Create an alert GDF course-News | Consensus | Company
Add to list of values Add to Portfolio Create an alert Suez to give competitors access to some of its historical data file of customers in the gas in France, saying the group “likely” to have abused its dominant position.
This measure, taken in emergency as an interim measure pending a decision on the merits regarding the client file from the old monopoly status of GDF Suez, about 11 million subscribers.
Input last April by Direct Energy, the Authority recalled that GDF Suez was almost the only one to offer deals at regulated rates (TRV), set by the state, for which the group has a database with its competitor considers it an advantage excessive.
“At this stage of the investigation, GDF Suez may have abused its dominant position in the gas market using infrastructure dedicated to TRV (…) to market market offers gas and electricity, competitive activity, “said the regulator in a statement.
The access to relevant files will occur no later than November 3, 2014 for customers with quality legal entities and 15 December 2014 for customers with quality individuals, said the Authority.
If GDF Suez does not meet these deadlines, it will stop marketing its market offerings until the data access is fully operational for competitors.
“This access will allow competitors to GDF Suez to fight on equal terms with the incumbent, allowing them to increase awareness competitive offers they currently offer, “according to the Authority.
GDF Suez has responded to these advertisements, indicating that he was studying” all options, including appeal the decision, “while denying” strongly that use made of any abuse of a dominant position. “
THE REGULATED Reviews
The decision on the merits of the Competition Authority should not occur before late 2015 or early 2016
If the controller confirmation that GDF Suez has abused its dominant position, after further investigation, it could impose a sanction which the group amount up to a theoretical maximum of 10% of worldwide turnover of the company.
The Authority points out that more than seven years after the full liberalization of the gas market in France, the development of new suppliers is very limited, with market shares ranging from 5% for individuals and 13% for industrial and commercial customers at the end of 2013 (excluding EDF).
It also confirms that the maintenance regulated gas prices and the weak development of new entrants play “against the competitiveness of French companies and against the purchasing power of households” because sometimes offer alternative offers highly competitive market.
controller justifies its emergency measures by the approach of winter period for which consumers would have an incentive to turn to rival GDF Suez, as well as the removal of regulated tariffs for small industrial and merchant customers, beginning in 2015 or early 2016
In his complaint against GDF Suez, Direct Energy also denounced the practice of confusion in marketing offers to TRV and market offerings, a practice of abusive coupling in its dual offers gas and electricity and a denigration of competitors.
(Benjamin Mallet, edited by Jean-Michel Belot)
No comments:
Post a Comment