ANNUAL REPORT 2010 - Konkurentsiamet

network connection. A prior notice of limitation of the capacity must be given to the
consumer at least 15 days in advance.
A network operator has the right to suspend a consumer’s network connection immediately
if the consumer increases the limited capacity without authorisation, uses electricity or the
network service illegally or uses electrical installations that do not correspond to established
requirements, are dangerous or disturb the function of the entire network or threaten the
supply dependability.
All market participants, including the operators and the consumers, have the right to turn to
the Competition Authority as the body conducting extra-judicial proceedings. A market
participant may submit a written complaint to the Competition Authority against another
market participant’s activities or lack of activity that violates the Electricity Market Act or
legislations enacted based on the Electricity Market Act. A total of 33 decisions (including
decisions on challenges) were made in the year 2010 about the solving of complaints. 256
answers to inquiries and requests for information were made (incl. relating to the Public
Water Supply and Sewerage Act). In order to ensure the rights granted to energy consumers
by law, the Competition Authority continuously monitors the accession fee methods,
standard terms and other matters provided by the law. In the year 2010, 23 decisions were
heard and made relating to the approval of accession fee methods (3) and general terms (20).
Public water supply and sewerage system
In August 2010, the Riigikogu passed the Establishment of Price Limitations to
Monopolies Act, which among other things amended the Public Water Supply and
Sewerage Act (hereinafter referred to as PWSSA) since 01.11.2010. Arising from the law
amendment, the water undertakings whose territory is located on a sewerage collection
area with a pollution load of 2,000 population equivalents or more are required to coordinate
the price of the water service and the calculation methods of the accession fee
with the Competition Authority.
Pursuant to the law amendment, the Competition Authority had to prepare and publish on
its website an instruction material “Recommended principles of calculating the price of the
water service” (hereinafter referred to as the Instructions). The creators of the Instructions
were guided by the regulation principles of monopoly undertakings (electricity, district
heating, and natural gas) that were already in place in Estonia. The Instructions are applied
49