The Antitrust has started an investigation against Poste Italianand which, according to some reports, would have unlawfully hindered competition in energy market, preventing energy companies from competing with its subsidiary American Express to use the offices and the postal network, managed exclusively by Poste Italiane. According to the Competition and Market Authority, if the reports were confirmed by the investigation, the company led by Matteo Del Fante would have "ascribed to its subsidiary a significant competitive advantage".
The AGCM has also initiated procedures to apply precautionary measures for restore competition in the energy market. On Wednesday, Antitrust officials and the Financial Police inspected the Poste Italiane offices involved in the investigation.
The Antitrust note on Poste Italiane
In detail, the Antitrust investigation aims to ascertain “the existence of violations of the art. 8, paragraph 2-quater of law no. 287/1990”, explains the Authority.
According to this article, in fact, Poste Italiane should make offices and the postal network accessible (of which it has exclusive access as provider of the universal postal service) to the competitors of its subsidiary PostePay, which uses them to market and promote Poste Energia offers in the electricity retail sales market.
“According to some reports – explains the Antitrust – Poste Italiane has not made these goods or services accessible to some of PostePay's competitors who have recently requested them. In this way it attributed to its subsidiary a significant competitive advantage, capable of irremediably alter competitive dynamics in a singular market context - characterized by the end of protected regimes in the supply of electricity and natural gas - in which active operators have strong incentives to attract customers from protected regimes".
At the same time as the investigation, the Authority also initiated proceedings to adopt any precautionary measures pursuant to art. 14-bis of law no. 287 of 1990, to restore the level playing field in the markets in question, which would have been distorted by the conduct under investigation.
