Press Release: Antitrust: Commission fines Romanian Power Exchange OPCOM for discriminating against EU electricity traders

On the 5 March 2014, the European Commission imposed a fine of just over € 1 million on S.C. OPCOM S.A. for abusing its dominant position in the Romanian market for facilitating electricity spot trading, in breach of EU antitrust rules.

OPCOM operates the only power exchange in Romania. Power exchanges are organised markets for trading electricity. Spot trading means trading in the short run (e.g. within the same day or for the next day). The Commission found that OPCOM discriminated against EU-based electricity traders from outside Romania for over five years.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Market building through antitrust. Long-term contract regulation in EU electricity markets http://www.europeansources.info/record/market-building-through-antitrust-long-term-contract-regulation-in-eu-electricity-markets/

European Commission: RAPID: STATEMENT/14/48: Statement by Vice-President Joaquín Almunia on antitrust decisions on power exchanges http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-14-48_en.pdf

ESO: Background information: Antitrust: Commission opens proceedings against Romanian Power Exchange http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-antitrust-commission-opens-proceedings-against-romanian-power-exchange/

ESO: Background information: Antitrust: Commission sends Statement of Objections to Romanian Power Exchange OPCOM http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-antitrust-commission-sends-statement-of-objections-to-romanian-power-exchange-opcom/

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