Brussels, 20/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - In the context of the merger involving the Spanish energy sector, the Commission has glimpsed “potential infringement” of Community law, the spokesperson for Charlie McCreevy, European Internal Market Commissioner, said on 20 March. He went on to add that the Commission already has “sufficient information” to be able to take a decision concerning the recent Spanish decree devised several days after the German electricity company, E.ON, had made a bid for the acquisition of the Spanish company, Endesa. The decree above all gives the Spanish regulator a right of veto on merger operations that affect regulated activity and may have a negative impact on energy supply in Spain (see EUROPE 9146 and 9147). Nonetheless, this affair will apparently not be on the agenda of the next Commission meeting. In a fax sent to the Commission last Friday, the Spanish authorities assured they would collaborate to a maximum in this affair and announced that they will soon be sending more information.
On Monday afternoon, in the context of the Gaz de France/Suez/Enel affair, Neelie Kroes received Gaz de France CEO Jean-François Cirelli, and Suez CEO Gérard Mestrallet. Messrs Mestrallet and Cirelli briefed Neelie Kroes on their proposed merger, a Commission press release states. The Commission announces it will assess the likely impact that the transaction will have on competition in the different sectors, once the merger project has been notified to it. In this context, the Italian electricity company, Enel, considers that its sights on Suez were countered by the recent announcement made by the French government of its intention to merge Gaz de France and Suez (see EUROPE 9141 and 0142). The Commissioner responsible for Competition is to receive Enel CEO Fulvio Conti on Tuesday.