Poland: Gazprom appeals fine for failing to provide information in pipeline probe

After the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) fined Gazprom Zl213 million (€48 million) for withholding information in a probe concerning a joint venture to build and operate the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, the Russian gas company announced that it had appealed the fine.

According to Gazprom's statement on 31 July 2020, the company received the official notice from the UOKiK about the fine and appealed it on 24 August 2020.

Several companies tried to get approval from the UOKiK to set up a joint venture to build and operate Nord Stream 2, but the agency expressed concerns that the concentration could restrict competition.

As the companies withdrew their application, they were not allowed to implement the joint venture.

In May 2018 the UOKiK opened an investigation into Gazprom, Engie, Uniper, OMV, Shell and Wintershall as the agency suspected that the companies had set up the joint venture without consent.

This article was first published on International Law Office, 21.04.2021.
author: Pawel Kulak