URE to break gas trade impasse with blunt instrument

The first is Polish Oil and Gas (PGNiG), and the second is a minor importer Media Odra Warta. This is a situation that the Office of Energetics Regulation (URE) would like to rectify. Despite much effort and legal changes by the state, PGNiG's monopoly has endured. Now, in a bid to kick start trade the URE has launched procedures against all concession holders who do not use it. It is threatening 12 companies with concession cancellation because they do not trade with gas. Among the threatened are German E.ON Ruhrgas, PKN Orlen, Anwil, Nitrogen plants Pulawy (ZA) Energiz and others. Complaints abound about PGNiG making the liberalization of the gas market as difficult as possible, with many of the forementioned blaming it for their failure to begin dealing with gas. Analysts are speculating that the URE is afraid that companies will become too dependent on Gazprom gas and wants to ensure gas supply diversification. But there other ways to do it. (Puls Biznesu, p.4) J.L.