Friday

29th Mar 2024

Putin says 'Niet' to EU anti-trust lawyers

  • Putin (r) at a meeting in Brussels last year (Photo: ec.europa.eu)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has passed a law blocking Gazprom from normal co-operation with EU anti-trust officials.

Referring to potential EU-Gazprom exchange of information on alleged price-fixing, his new decree on Tuesday (11 September) "establishe[d] the obligation of a federal executive body to refuse permission to conduct the aforementioned activities if they are capable of damaging the economic interests of the Russian Federation."

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov in Moscow the same day told press the EU is trying to extort gas discounts.

"Right now a series of relatively weak EU economies are continuing to demand from Gazprom unilateral concessions on gas prices. You can't view this [the EU probe] as anything other than EC [European Community] support for Gazprom subsidies to eastern Europe. This is an attempt to solve the economic problems of the EC at Russia's cost," he said.

Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller also told Russian newswire Interfax the decree means EU energy firms will have to call the Kremlin instead of his office if they want price cuts.

"There is no need for them to turn to us anymore," he noted.

The European Commission announced its investigation last week, prompting a stream of abuse from the Russian side.

Russia's EU ambassador Vladimir Chizhov said EU lawyers can investigate "life on Mars" for all he cares. Gazprom deputy chief Alexander Medvedev called the EU a "thief."

Putin himself said the move is a shake-down: "Someone in the European Commission decided that we must assume part of the burden of this subsidising [of EU countries]. United Europe wants to retain some political influence and wants us to pay for it."

For his part, EU competition chief Joaquin Almunia told press in Strasbourg on Tuesday the investigation will go ahead on technical grounds.

"We don't look at the nationality [of a suspect firm], or who the shareholders are, or whether it's a public or private company. What we are concerned with is the impact that business activities will have on our market," he noted.

Whether or not Gazprom co-operates with Almunia, commission staff last year snatched evidence in raids on Gazprom-linked offices in 10 EU countries.

They have also sent questionnaires to other energy firms in a procedure which could see price-fixing allegations multiply and increase a potential fine.

EU officials have not lost an abuse-of-dominance case in the Union's court in Luxembourg since 1958.

To add insult to injury, foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton on Tuesday lectured Russia in remarks to MEPs.

She said that "under Russian law" the three women in the Pussy Riot punk group who made fun of Putin should have been "sanctioned [for] a minor offence" instead of being jailed.

She also criticised new Russian legislation designed to make life harder for NGOs.

"The recent set of steps taken by the government sets the country on the wrong path and wastes the opportunity for effective modernisation and democratic development provided by the political awakening of Russia's new middle classes," Ashton said.

Signs of tension after EU move on Gazprom

The European Commission says its probe into suspected price-fixing by Gazprom has nothing to do with EU-Russia relations. But Gazprom says it does.

US and EU breaking taboos to restrain Israel

The US abstained and all EU states on the UN Security Council backed a call for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza, as Europe prepares to also blacklist extremist Israeli settlers.

EU warns Russia over Moscow terror attacks

Europe has warned Russia not to use the weekend's terror attacks in Moscow as a pretext to escalate its war in Ukraine and crackdown on internal dissent.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us