PARIS (Reuters) -France’s antitrust authority has fined TotalEnergies, Rubis and EG Group a combined 187.5 million euros ($217.3 million) over an anticompetitive deal that raised fuel prices in Corsica, the watchdog said on Monday.
The French island, with a population of a little more than 350,000, is heavily reliant on cars for transportation, with all fuel imports distributed through depots operated by DPLC, which is owned jointly by Rubis, TotalEnergies and EG Group.
Between 2016 and 2023 no other companies were allowed to use those depots, the watchdog said in a statement.
“The agreement to reserve the use of Corsican fuel depots exclusively for DPLC shareholders is anticompetitive and likely to foreclose competitors to the detriment of consumers,” the watchdog said.
The investigation followed a complaint in 2022 from Ferrandi, another fuel distributor on the Mediterranean island.
Outsiders such as Ferrandi were forced to purchase their fuel under conditions imposed by their rivals, leading to higher pump prices, the watchdog said.
Rubis said it is “appalled” by the decision and “firmly denies” the practices alleged by the Autorite de la Concurrence, France’s competition regulator.
“The Group has consistently worked to ensure reliable and competitive fuel supply for the Corsican market, to the benefit of consumers on the island,” it said in a statement, adding that it is reviewing whether to appeal the fine.
EG Group declined to comment and TotalEnergies did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
TotalEnergies was fined 115.8 million euros while Rubis was ordered to pay 64.7 million euros. EG Group was fined 7 million euros. The companies can appeal, though the appeal process does not suspend the payment.
($1 = 0.8628 euros)
(Reporting by Alessandro Parodi and America HernandezEditing by Inti Landauro, David Goodman and Paul Simao)
