The European Commission fined state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) €77 million ($87.3 million) for blocking its rivals' access to gas infrastructure between 2010 and 2015 in breach of EU antitrust rules, the EC announced late Monday.
The EC said that blocking access to the country's gas infrastructure made the entrance of other suppliers to Bulgaria's wholesale gas supply market impossible, a move which was deemed not to be in favor of its gas customers.
The Commission declared that BEH and its gas supply and gas infrastructure subsidiaries, Bulgargaz and Bulgartransgaz, respectively acted like a monopoly.
Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkov criticized the decision and said the country's strategic infrastructure is directly linked to its national security.
'We cannot allow compromises with our national security,' she asserted.
By Murat Temizer
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr