Italy's natural gas market is still dominated by state-controlled company Eni SpA (E), limiting competition and keeping prices high, said the country's energy regulator Tuesday.
The Italian gas market needs new liquefied natural gas receiving terminals and pipelines to offer alternatives to Eni sources, said the energy regulator, Autorita per l'Energia Elettrica e Gas, or AEEG, in its annual presentation to Parliament.
A problem "is the continuation, especially in the gas sector, of vertical players that hold dominant positions in the market," Alessandro Ortis, head of AEEG, said in his speech to parliament.
The regulator also urged lawmakers to introduce measures to split Snam Rete Gas SpA (SRG.MI), Italy's biggest gas grid by lines, from Eni.
The Italian government controls Eni with a roughly 30.3% stake, while Eni holds just more than 50% of Snam Rete Gas' capital, according to filings published on securities regulator Consob's Web site.