The Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine appealed to the Enforcement Service of the Ministry of Justice with a request to recover from the Russian gas monopoly, Gazprom, a $172 billion fine and penalties for abusing the monopoly position in the domestic gas transit market, AMC chief Yuriy Terentiev wrote on Facebook.
”The application for opening an enforcement proceeding to recover the fine and penalties from Gazprom was submitted to the Department of State Enforcement Service of the Ministry of Justice,” he wrote.
According to the statement published on the AMC website, the Committee requests that the Service open the enforcement proceedings and take action on the decision of the Economic Court of Kyiv of December 5, 2016, on compulsory recovery from Gazprom of a UAH 85.9 billion fine imposed in January 2016, and penalties amounting to UAH 85.9 billion for the failure to provide a timely payment of the fine.
In addition, the AMC requests that the Enforcement Service seize Gazprom`s property and funds, and declare a ban on their alienation.
As UNIAN reported, in January 2016 the AMC billed Gazprom with a fine of about UAH 86 billion (some $3.4 billion) for abusing monopoly position in the domestic gas transit market. The decision was made as part of the execution of the government`s instruction, as well as in the light of the official accusations of the European Commission put forward against Gazprom in connection with its dominant position in the markets of Central and Eastern Europe, which violates EU antitrust laws.
On April 12, 2016 Gazprom decided to challenge this decision by filing a lawsuit with the Economic Court of Kyiv. However, the court rejected the claim.
Since the fine was never paid, the AMC later filed a lawsuit with the Economic Court of Kyiv with a request to enforce fines and penalties, as well as to recognize the obligation to stop violations of the antitrust legislation.
At the same time, Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Ihor Nasalik noted that Ukraine did not plan to select Russian gas as payment of a fine in the framework of execution of court decisions, and does not intend to violate its obligations on fuel transit to European consumers.
