The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) has initiated an investigation into possible anti-competitive practices in energy markets in Spain. The agency is analyzing whether there has been a discriminatory market closure that restricts the activity of other operators, as it has explained in a statement.
In the context of these inquiries, between October 26 and 29, 2026, the regulator carried out an inspection at the headquarters of a business group that operates in the Spanish energy sector, whose name has not been disclosed. This action is part of confidential information opened following a preliminary investigation by the Directorate of Competition.
The CNMC is studying whether there are behaviors that violate competition rules and that could be classified as an abuse of a dominant position. If confirmed, such conduct would constitute an infringement of Article 2 of the Competition Defence Law (LDC) and Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
The agency has stressed that these inspections are only an initial phase within the analysis procedure of the alleged restrictive practices and that “they do not prejudge the outcome of the investigation or the entity’s culpability.” If these actions were to reveal indications of infringement of national or EU regulations, the CNMC would formally open a sanctioning file.
The entity has also emphasized that abuse of a dominant position is considered a “very serious” infringement in competition legislation, which may result in fines of up to 10% of the total turnover of the offending companies corresponding to the financial year immediately prior to the imposition of the sanction.