For the purpose of the inquiry the key areas were grouped under the following headings: (1) market concentration/market power, (2) vertical foreclosure (most prominently inadequate unbundling of network and supply), (3) lack of market integration (including lack of regulatory oversight for cross border issues), (4) lack of transparency, (5) price formation, (6) downstream markets, (7) balancing markets, and (8) liquefied natural gas (LNG).

42. Reiterates that competition policy should contribute to promoting transparency, open standards and interoperability in order to prevent technological lock-in of consumers and clients by any of the market players in the energy sector; urges the Commission to closely monitor the level of competition, since the three largest players still represent about 75 % in the electricity market and above 60 % in the gas market, despite the gradual opening of markets since the mid-1990s; calls on the Commission to ensure proper competition in the energy market in order to improve state support for innovation and access to renewable energy source ...[+++]s;

42. Reiterates that competition policy should contribute to promoting transparency, open standards and interoperability in order to prevent technological lock-in of consumers and clients by any of the market players in the energy sector; urges the Commission to closely monitor the level of competition, since the three largest players still represent about 75 % in the electricity market and above 60 % in the gas market, despite the gradual opening of markets since the mid-1990s; calls on the Commission to ensure proper competition in the energy market in order to improve state support for innovation and access to renewable energy source ...[+++]s;

‘interrogator code’ means either an interrogator identifier or a surveillance identifier code used for multisite lockout and possibly communication protocols.