LUKOIL will pay for dominance – Business – Kommersant

The Commission for the Protection of Competition in Bulgaria fined Lukoil’s structures operating in the country for more than €87 million for abusing its dominant position in the market. They refused to give other suppliers access to their warehouses and oil pipelines. The company intends to appeal this decision.

The Bulgarian structures of LUKOIL LUKOIL Bulgaria EOOD and LUKOIL Neftochim Burgas AD intend to appeal to the Administrative Court of the Sofia Region the decision of the Commission for the Protection of Competition, which imposed a fine of 195.1 million leva (about €87.5 million) on the companies on April 4. The regulator found the company guilty of abusing its dominant position in the motor fuel storage market. In particular, the structures of the Russian oil company did not provide importers and fuel producers with access to their own tax warehouses, and also limited their import by sea.

In addition, a fine was imposed for failure to provide access to the group’s oil product pipelines for transporting fuel to other producers and importers, which may hinder, restrict or distort competition and affect the interests of consumers by restricting the import of automotive fuel into the country.

In turn, LUKOIL considers the Commission’s decision “unreasonable and contrary to European practice.” “The company strictly complies with the laws of Bulgaria and the European Union and expects that this will be unambiguously confirmed during the trial,” the oil company said in a statement.

Earlier, in February, an antitrust fine of 68 million leva (about €34 million) was imposed on LUKOIL Bulgaria for abusing its dominant position through price pressure on competitors in the wholesale fuel trade in the country. Then the company also appealed against the decision in court.

Olga Mordyushenko