The Commission for protection of competition investigates the competitive environment on the markets for production, distribution and supply of heating power for customer and commercial use and its vertically associated markets.
Considering the socioeconomic importance of the energy sector and the public and institutional interest in the markets of heating power, the Commission constantly monitors publicly available facts and circumstances relevant to the enforcement of the LPC. Following the evaluation of the information in the public domain, the Commission decided to assess the effect of the economic changes to the competition in the heating power market and its vertically associated markets, reflecting on the trends in the reports of the Minister of energy. For this purpose, the Commission has adopted a decision #№ 363/14.05.2020 for initiating proceedings on the grounds of art. 27 of the LPCref No.CPC/318/2020 for conducting a sector inquiry of the competitive environment in the markets for production, distribution and supply of heating power for customer and commercial use and the vertically associated markets for share distribution services and share distribution devices.
The Commission has investigated various aspects of the energy sector and the behavior of the market operators. In the heating sector, the CPC has conducted proceedings for competition advocacy and for potential infringements of the competition regulations. In these proceedings the Commission has compared the national regulations including the Energy sector act the Ordinance for heating and the draft for an amendment ordinancewith the LPC. The CPC has analyzed the behavior of undertakings operating in the heating sector for conformity with the competition regulations. In case anticompetitive behavior has been established, the Commission imposed sanctions or accepted commitments offered by the undertaking, whose behavior was a subject to an investigation.
In order to increase the effectiveness of the launched proceedings the Commission shall collect and analyze the necessary case related information, exercising the powers envisaged in the LPC, including liaison with other competent authorities, sector organizations, commercial associations and customers.
The Commission for protection of competition invites the general public to provide assistance in gathering relevant information and data related to the competitive environment in the sector.
The full text of the decision is available in the public electronic register of the CPC on the following address: http://reg.cpc.bg