Abstract
On 9 February 2005, the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) and the Autorità per l’Energia Elettrica e il Gas (AEEG) concluded a joint sector inquiry on the progress of liberalisation in the Italian electricity market (Electricity Sector inquiry). The Electricity Sector inquiry follows another joint inquiry by the two authorities a few months earlier on the progress of liberalisation of the natural gas market in Italy (Natural Gas Sector inquiry). The Natural Gas Sector inquiry was published on 19 June 2004. This article summarises the findings and the conclusions of both sector inquiries and describes the methodology used by the two authorities. After several years since the beginning of both liberalisation processes in both sectors, the AGCM and the AEEG find that Italian electricity and natural gas markets still lack competitiveness and are characterised by the presence of a dominant operator, ENEL (in the electricity sector) and ENI (in the natural gas sector). The last part of the article summarises the reasons which brought the AGCM to open two antitrust investigations into alleged abuses of dominant positions against ENEL and ENI.
Disciplines
Antitrust and Trade Regulation
Date of this Version
June 2005
Recommended Citation
Antonio Capobianco, "Sector Inquiries on the Italian Electricity and Natural Gas Markets Expose Failures in Both Liberalisation Processes." (June 2005). Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr Antitrust Series. Working Paper 16.
https://law.bepress.com/wilmer/art16