Third-Party Access Rights in the Energy Sector: A Competition Law Perspective

Utilities Law Review, Vol. 16, No. 3, 2007

9 Pages Posted: 17 Dec 2007 Last revised: 13 Jul 2008

See all articles by Alexander Kotlowski

Alexander Kotlowski

University of Oxford - Faculty of Law; University of Oxford - Pembroke College, Oxford

Abstract

The article identifies circumstances in which refusal to grant third-party access to energy networks to competitors constitutes an abuse of a dominant position enjoyed by energy utilities. It explores the scope and evident limitations of Article 82 of the EC Treaty in regard to gas and electricity markets in the context of the essential facilities doctrine and refusal to supply cases. It is argued that under certain limited circumstances competition law grants compulsory third-party access. Therefore, even without further sector specific regulation and ownership unbundling,independent energy suppliers can have a legally enforceable right to access energy network facilities owned by dominant energy system operators.

Keywords: third-party access right, energy networks, unbundling, Internal Energy Market, Electricity Directive, Gas Directive, essential facilities

JEL Classification: K21, K23, L12, L13, L43, L94, L95, D42, D43

Suggested Citation

Kotlowski, Alexander, Third-Party Access Rights in the Energy Sector: A Competition Law Perspective. Utilities Law Review, Vol. 16, No. 3, 2007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1073962

Alexander Kotlowski (Contact Author)

University of Oxford - Faculty of Law ( email )

St Cross Building
St Cross Road
Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3UL
United Kingdom

University of Oxford - Pembroke College, Oxford ( email )

Oxford, OX1 1DW
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://oxford.academia.edu/AleksanderKotlowski/

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
1,785
Abstract Views
5,820
Rank
17,832
PlumX Metrics