The European Union Competition Commissioner said that cartels and monopoly status practices have been paralyzing the public and private sector in Greece. “These practices are operating almost on a criminal basis” said Neelie Kroes during her visit in Athens last Friday.
Energy and the banking sector suffered the worst criticism by Mrs Kroes.
The Commissioner said that the newly-liberalized energy market in Greece is facing many difficulties as the sector is concentrated in few hands, resulting in the creation of closed markets.
Mrs Kroes visited the Greek Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas and called for more fuel deposit storage places as the lack of the storage places deters import fuels. The unfavorable market conditions also lead to the lack of light crude oil imports. Only four big oil firms have adequate storage places which are used for their own deposits.
Mrs Kroes had a word of criticism for Public Power Corp, which does not press ahead with the natural gas and electricity markets unbundling.
Mr Sioufas committed that he will propose the Competition Committee and the Energy Regulator to be independent institutions. Both authorities are under the Greek government supervision.