IN-DEPTH INQUIRY INTO DANISH GAS GROUP DONG'S DOMINANT POSITION.

On October 18, the European Commission opened an in-depth inquiry under the EU Merger Regulation into state-owned gas group DONG's bid to take sole control of two traditional Danish electricity generators, Elsam (in the West) and Energi E2 (in the East) as well as Danish electricity suppliers Kobenhavns Energi Holding and Frederiksberg Elnet. DONG is one of the leading energy groups in the Nordic region, with business in procuring, producing, distributing and trading in energy and related products in Northern Europe. It has a workforce of around 1,200 and an annual sales turnover of DKK 14 billion.

The findings of the Commissions first-phase investigation indicate that the merger would remove Elsam...