Competition in Regulated Markets, the Insurance and Banking Sector (year 2013)

Abstract Decisions regarding anticompetitive conducts in the regulated markets (energy, transport, electronic communications, media, postal services, and also banking and insurance) are very few in the period concerned. In all these fields the number of cases scrutinized by Agcm is less than in the previous years. The total agreements scrutinized in 2013 amounted to only two, a figure that is steadily dropping compared to the previous years. However it is worth highlighting that also the number of cases of abuse of dominant position scrutinized in 2013 has dropped and it amount to only four. The only market where cases of merger are relevant is that of energy and in some ways that of transport where the Authority decided to fine the companies whose merger had been authorized in 2012. In 2013 Agcm has paid particular attention to the forthcoming tenders in the market of the gas local distribution and referring to the transport sector to the activities of the big operators in the maritime transport field following the trends of the last year. In the electronic communication market a relevant Agcm’s decision deals with an abuse of dominant position of exclusionary nature by Telecom Italia that has been fined for two different reasons: firstly, slowing down development of its competitors; secondly, implementing a margin squeeze strategy concerning commercial offers to big business customers.