The European Commission (EC) has adopted a new legally-binding decision imposing a new set of obligations on the Russian state-run energy company Gazprom, according to which it will be forced to enable free flow of gas at competitive prices in the Central and Eastern European gas markets. This means Gazprom will have to remove restrictions placed on customers to re-sell cross-border gas. According to the Commission, Gazprom breached EU antitrust rules by partitioning gas markets along national borders in eight Member States (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia) and charging higher gas prices in five of these countries (Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland).
Besides, Gazprom will have to ensure competitive gas prices and facilitate gas flows from and to isolated markets, in particular the Baltic states and Bulgaria. The Russian gas supplier cannot act on any advantages concerning gas infrastructure, which it may have obtained from customers by having leveraged its market position in gas supply.
In parallel, Gazprom's gas exports to Europe are increasing and in particular in Austria: the company exported 4.9 bcm of gas to the country between January and May 2018 (+68%). In 2017, Gazprom's exports to Austria skyrocketed by 50% (3 bcm) in 2017 and by 34% in 2016 (2.3 bcm).
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