UOKiK investigates Emfesz's allegations against PGNiG

Emfesz is the latest company to attempt to break PGNiG's monopoly and appears determined to be the first to succeed in doing so. Under a deal signed in April, Emfesz was to supply ZA Pulawy, one of Poland's biggest commercial users of gas, with 150 million cubic meters of the resource this year and possibly up to 500 million cubic meters annually in subsequent years. However, the deliveries, which were due to start in July, could not be completed because Emfesz could not secure a deal with Gaz System, the transmission-grid operator, to send the gas and with PGNiG to store the required 3% of the supplies. In a classic catch-22 situation, Gaz-System refused to send the gas until Emfesz had a storage contract with PGNiG, but PGNiG would not provide storage until Emfesz had a contract to send the gas. Both companies deny the allegations. UOKiK first decisions are likely before Christmas. (Puls Biznesu, p. 7)