On September 10, 2015 the Court of Justice of the European Union passed a sentence declaring inconsistency with European law of Polish regulations concerning the obligation of official approval of gas tariffs by energy companies.
The Court of Justice found that an unrestricted obligation to approve the tariffs including also the gas prices for other recipients than the households violates the rules of functioning of the common natural gas market, stipulated in directive no. 2009/73/WE.
The consequence of the sentence is the necessity to change the regulations and at least to restrict the obligation of approval of the tariffs. In short term it may result in increase of gas prices for firms, however in long term – in development of the gas market, growing importance of free competition and in effect improvement of situation of all recipients.