Gazprom to Respond to EU by Christmas

Russian gas giant Gazprom will send commitments to the European Commission by Christmas in a bid to close an ongoing abuse of an anti-monopoly probe, the Russian news agency Sputnik reported on November 28. 

Gazprom made a similar pledge in late October following a meeting between Gazprom deputy CEO Alexander Medvedev and the EU's competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager.

The report quoted Medvedev as saying the negotiating process had closed and that the company had reached the 'execution stage'. He said commitments would be sent by mid-December and no later than Christmas, adding that European Commission officials would then market test the proposals, according to the report.

Gazprom deputy CEO Alexander Medvedev  (Photo credit: Gazprom)

Gazprom executives held talks with the European Commission representatives on October 26, during which commitments were discussed. European Union countries relied on Russia for 37.5% of their gas imports in 2014 but that share is believed to have increased to about 45% more recently.  

The commission started investigating Gazprom's business activities in 2011, amid suspicions that the company was abusing its dominant position in Central and Eastern European countries that were almost entirely dependent on Russian gas. In April 2015, the commission filed charges against Gazprom within the framework of this investigation.

Murat Basboga