Brussels, 16/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has opened an in-depth inquiry into Belgian gas supplier Distrigas - part of the Suez Group - which it suspects of abusing its dominant position (Article 82 of the competition rules) on the domestic natural gas market (Distrigas controls almost 85% of the Belgian natural gas market). “We sent a statement of objections on 10 May” in which the Commission informed Distrigas of its concerns over long-term contracts between the Belgian company and its industrial customers, Jonathan Todd, spokesman for Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, said on Tuesday. The Commission holds the view that a significant proportion of the Belgian gas market is unavailable for competition from new entrants for long periods because Distrigas has signed long-term contracts with many of its industrial customers. If these suspicions were to be confirmed, “this would have a particularly worrying effect on competition as a large proportion of other gas sales in Belgium are intra-group sales within the Suez group (e.g. Distrigas sales to Electrabel) and so not accessible to potential new market entrants,” stresses the Commission in a press release. The Commission also points out that the inquiry into Distrigas predates the one by DG Competition in the energy sector (latest results of which are in EUROPE 9133) and is separate from the inquiry into the merger between Suez and GDF.