The European Commission carried out unannounced inspections of Russian facilities Gazprom in Germany, on suspicion of violating competition rules with the aim of raising prices, became known today from European sources.
The Commission, the European Union’s competition watchdog, did not confirm the information, but acknowledged in a statement that it had carried out inspections, in co-operation with the German competition authority, “at the offices of many companies engaged in the supply, transmission and storage of natural gas. in Germany”.
Two European sources confirmed to AFP that investigations had been carried out at the premises of Gazprom and its subsidiary Wingas, as initially revealed by Bloomberg.
“Surveillance inspections are part of the preliminary investigation into practices that violate competition rules. “The fact that the Commission conducts such inspections means that companies engage in conduct that violates the rules of competition and does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation itself,” the commission said.
Since last year, Russia has been suspected of restricting gas supplies to Europe, causing prices to skyrocket.
The invasion of Ukraine has solemnly highlighted the EU’s extreme dependence on Russian gas, which accounts for 40% of consumption.
It is this dependence that limits Europe’s ability to take action against Moscow. The 27, who have decided to impose unprecedented sanctions on Russia since the start of the offensive in Ukraine, have avoided touching on the gas sector, a vital sector and Russia’s main source of income, because they have managed to get their hands dirty.
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