29/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 28 May, the Commission confirmed ongoing discussion with German gas provider, RWE, suspected of anti-competitiveness behaviour since the inquiry launched in May 2007 (EUROPE 9425). According to some sources, the parties may, by the end of the week, sign an agreement on relinquishing the RWE subsidiary Transportnetz Gas GmbH. The Commission fears the latter had imposed an artificial rise in prices for gas transit. This case will no doubt call to mind that of the electricity company, E.ON (Germany), which agreed in February to break off from its distribution network and from 20% of its production capacities. The Commission strongly supports ownership unbundling of this kind in the energy sector to palliate the obstacles to competition created by vertical concentration uncovered during the sectoral inquiry in 2006 (see EUROPE 9341). (C.D.)