Brussels, 01/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - Following his meeting with Neelie Kroes, European Competition Commissioner, in Brussels on 28 February, Italian Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti told journalists that they had agreed that asymmetry in the liberalisation of national energy markets had to be avoided. So, in the Enel/Suez affair, Italian authorities are calling for greater “reciprocity”, rather than threatening retaliatory measures (see EUROPE 9141). The aim of the meeting between Mr Tremonti and Mrs Kroes was to have an exchange of views, but not in a spirit of “revenge”, on recent developments in the European energy market, he said, adding that they had “of course” spoken of the affair in which several European companies were involved. He was referring to the proposed merger between Gas de France (GDF) and Suez announced by the French government and which caused outrage in Italy, seeing a French attempt to dissuade Enel, the public Italian electricity company, from purchasing Electrabel, Suez's Belgian subsidiary. According to the Dow Jones agency, Enel will shortly send the Commission a document for information on the reasons behind its thwarted intentions towards Electrabel.
In a press release, Neelie Kroes said that the Commission would analyse in detail and impartially any bid involving Suez if and when it is notified in accordance with European merger rules. Hitherto, the Commission has received no such notification.
On 1st March, Mr Tremonti also met Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy, to explain to him the Italian government's position on the Suez-GDF merger. According to a Commission press release, the Minister expressed doubts about whether certain internal market principles had been observed, such as the free movement of capital and non-discrimination, as well as arrangements in the directive on market abuse. Mr McCreevy assured him that he was ready to monitor and examine the situation in the light of the worries expressed.
In Italy, which is in full electoral campaign, the announcement of the Suez-GDF merger brought strong reactions. At the start of the week, Silvio Berlusconi, the Head of Government, denounced this “huge violation of Community law”. On Tuesday, Romano Prodi, the former President of the European Commission and Mr Berlusconi's rival in the legislative elections, considered the requirement to “strengthen national companies has become urgent”, according to the daily La Repubblica. Support is even being voiced for linking Enel and Eni, the large Italian group active in the oil and gas sectors.