Court Rejects MOL”s Claim To Have Antitrust Fine Annulled

The Bucharest Court of Appeals has overruled Hungarian oil group MOL”s claim to have a RON80.2 million antitrust fine annulled, upholding the Competition Council”s decision.

The decision may be appealed.

„We”ve won a case in the oil industry, where we fined oil companies EUR200 million. The Bucharest Court of Appeals issued a first ruling, in the case raised by MOL. There are seven trials, I think, I expect the company will appeal, but we”re happy with the ruling,” Competition Council president Bogdan Chiritoiu at a conference organized Thursday by financial daily Ziarul Financiar.

At the beginning of the year, Romania”s antirust body announced it fined OMV Petrom Marketing, OMV Petrom, Rompetrol Downstream, ENI Romania, MOL Romania Petroleum Products, and Lukoil Romania with 3% of their 2010 turnovers, amounting to a total of EUR200 million, a record for Romania and the only antitrust fine on the fuel market in the EU.