The Government has asked the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) to strengthen surveillance over energy prices in Catalonia and the rest of the State to avoid possible abuses during the current crisis in the Middle East. The request was formalized through a letter sent last Friday by the vice-president and minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, to the president of the CNMC, Cani Fernández.
Supervision in the face of the rise in prices in electricity and fuels
The concern of the Catalan Executive comes in a context of a sharp increase in energy prices. Oil has surpassed 100 dollars per barrel, a level not reached since 2022. Reference natural gas in Europe has almost doubled its price since the beginning of the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran. Furthermore, the wholesale electricity market has registered its highest price in the last year.
At the gas stations in Barcelona, Girona, and Tarragona, both gasoline and diesel have experienced historical increases in a matter of days. The Government seeks to prevent this volatility from being unjustifiably passed on to final consumers.
Request for maximum traceability and control
The letter sent by Sara Aagesen requests the CNMC to guarantee maximum traceability between wholesale and retail prices, as well as the protection of consumer rights. The minister has stressed the importance of the supervisory body being especially attentive to the evolution of energy markets.
"We have requested maximum supervision from the CNMC to see how wholesale markets react and what the impact is on retail prices of both electricity and petroleum products. It is important that the supervisory body is very attentive so that consumers do not suffer an undesired impact, beyond that caused by the energy markets themselves" - Sara Aagesen, vice president and minister for Ecological Transition
The CNMC intensifies vigilance
Official sources from the body have confirmed that the CNMC is carrying out its supervisory task to detect possible irregularities by companies that try to take advantage of market volatility to inflate their margins. The objective is to prevent abusive practices from occurring in the price chain.
"At the CNMC we are aware of how the international conflict is being transferred to Spain and, in particular, we are monitoring the evolution of fuel prices" - Official Spokesperson, CNMC
The CNMC has reminded that it carries out the supervision and control of energy markets within its legal powers. The body maintains vigilance over prices and the relationship between wholesale and retail markets to ensure that all consumers receive the treatment that corresponds to them according to the operation of the markets.
The Government insists that consumer protection is a priority and that any irregularity will be subject to investigation. The situation remains under observation as long as international instability and pressure on energy prices persist.