TotalEnergies and Partners Fined €187.5 Million Over Corsica Fuel Market Restrictions

France’s competition authority has imposed major penalties on TotalEnergies, Rubis and EG Group, ruling that their exclusive control of Corsica’s fuel depots unfairly limited market access and pushed prices higher for consumers.

France’s antitrust authority has issued a €187.5 million fine against TotalEnergies, Rubis and EG Group after concluding that the companies engaged in practices that restricted competition in Corsica’s fuel market.

The regulator said the arrangement effectively limited access to the island’s fuel depots, contributing to higher prices for motorists.

Corsica relies heavily on imported fuel, and all supply passes through two depots operated by DPLC, a company jointly owned by the three firms.

According to the regulator, the depots were made accessible only to DPLC shareholders, shutting out competing distributors and hindering market competition.

Authorities said the exclusive arrangement remained in place between 2016 and 2023, preventing non-shareholder companies from freely accessing the storage facilities.

As a result, alternative suppliers were forced to purchase fuel under restrictive conditions that favoured the depot owners.

The watchdog stated that this system gave the DPLC shareholders significant control over pricing structures.

This was found to have led to higher retail prices for Corsican consumers, who depend on road transport and have limited alternatives for refuelling.

The investigation began after a 2022 complaint from Ferrandi, a regional fuel distributor that said it faced obstacles obtaining fuel on competitive terms.

The authority agreed that the barriers imposed on outside distributors created conditions that distorted the regional market.

Rubis issued a statement strongly rejecting the findings and said it was “appalled” by the regulator’s conclusions.
The company said it has always acted to maintain reliable fuel supplies on the island and is evaluating whether to appeal the decision.

EG Group declined to comment on the ruling, while TotalEnergies did not provide an immediate response.
Despite having the right to appeal, all three companies must pay the fines even if they decide to dispute the ruling in court.

In the penalty breakdown, TotalEnergies faces the largest fine at €115.8 million, followed by Rubis at €64.7 million, with EG Group fined €7 million.

The regulator said the scale of the fines reflects both the duration of the agreement and the impact on the island’s consumers.

The authority argued that limiting depot access to shareholders represented a structural barrier that effectively pushed competitors to the margins.

It emphasised that competitive fuel supply is essential for Corsica due to its reliance on road transport and minimal domestic refining capacity.

Officials said the penalties aim to ensure fairer competition going forward and to deter companies from using ownership structures to control access to essential infrastructure.

The regulator also noted that open access would allow more distributors to operate and potentially lower prices.

Corsica’s geography and dependence on imported fuel have often placed it at higher risk of supply disruptions and elevated costs.

The ruling underscores the importance of maintaining transparent and competitive systems in regions where supply chains are concentrated.

While the companies involved maintain that they acted within regulatory and safety standards, the authority said the long-term effect of the arrangement undermined consumer interests.

It added that a more open depot system would promote diversity in supply and help stabilise the local market.

The case highlights broader concerns about competition in essential commodity markets, particularly in isolated or resource-dependent regions.

Authorities say they will continue monitoring market behaviour to prevent similar practices from emerging elsewhere.