Polish firm takes EU commission to court over Russian gas: report

The Polish company has filed a lawsuit in a European Union court to appeal a May decision by the EU executive which allowed Gazprom to avoid being penalised after a dispute over alleged monopolistic practices, Poland’s PAP news agency reported, citing what it said was an informed source.

The European Commission in May said it had reached a definitive settlement with Gazprom, concluding a long-running antitrust probe into the Russian energy giant’s alleged abuse of its monopoly position in Central and Eastern Europe.

The decision meant that the Russian company would avoid paying fines for suspected monopolistic practices affecting Poland and seven other Central and Eastern European countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, the PAP news agency reported.

Meanwhile, a Stockholm-based arbitration court was in June quoted as ruling that Poland’s PGNiG can demand a lower price for gas it buys from Russia’s Gazprom under a long-term contract.

Officials have said that Poland aims to stop importing gas from Russia after a long-term supply contract with Gazprom expires in 2022.

(gs/pk)

Source: PAP