“Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Yaroslavl” Ltd. unlawfully avoided transportation contracts

Yaroslavl OFAS found that “Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Yaroslavl” Ltd.violatedthe Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”

The Commission of the antimonopoly body established that “Rosstroigaz” Ltd. concluded lease contracts for high pressure gas pipelines. A letter was sent to “Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Yaroslavl” Ltd. on the need to enter into gas transportation contracts.

The gas supplier in the person of “Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Yaroslavl” Ltd. did not file a duly drawn up applicationfor concluding contracts and did not submitted full relevant information for concluding contract, which means avoiding it.

Under No. 1370 Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “On approving the regulations on ensuring entities’ access to local gas-distribution networks” of 24.11.1998, “Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Yaroslavl” Ltd.was supposed to forward information and documents to “Rosstroigaz” Ltd. required to conclude the gas transportation contract.

“In the absence of such information, “Rosstroigaz” Ltd. is unable to draft and forward a gas transportation contract to the gas supplier, which, in its turn, is needed by the gas-distribution company to set the relevant tariff  for transportation. “Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Yaroslavl” Ltd. avoiding the contract can have adverse consequences for the population if “Rosstroigaz” Ltd. stops transporting gas via the operated networks. Thus, the omission to regularize relationships for gas transportation via gas-distribution networks means that the gas supplier abused its dominance”, explained Head of Yaroslavl OFAS Alexei Shirokov.