Russian energy company OAO Gazprom
has submitted draft proposals to European Union regulators about its
pricing and other practices, the European Commission said Friday.
"I can confirm that we have received the proposals," said EU commission spokesman Antoine Colombani.
The move comes just over a week after Joaquín Almunia, the
EU's competition chief, said he had held a "constructive" meeting with
Gazprom's Alexander Medvedev. Following the meeting, Gazprom pledged to
present a first set of draft proposals in writing within days to the
commission.
A first round of talks between the two sides is expected to be called as
soon as the commission has reviewed Gazprom's proposals.
The EU launched a high-profile probe into Gazprom
in September last year, after raids on the company's offices in
September 2011. Days after the EU announced its investigation, the
Kremlin fired back with a decree preventing the company from disclosing
information to foreign regulators without government permission.
Under EU antitrust rules, a company can offer concessions
aimed at addressing the EU's concerns, which Brussels can then decide to
make legally binding on the firm. Those so-called "commitments" don't
imply wrongdoing by the company and are a way of settling a case without
imposing fines.