Market announcement
AS TALLINNA VESI
LEI code
5493000M6TVS2X0KWC97
Size of the entity
Large group
Economic activities
Water Supply; Sewerage, Waste Management and Remediation Activities
Country of registered office
Estonia
General information
Categories
Other price sensitive information
Unique data record identifier
3809
Attachments
Submission date and time
11.09.2012 09:30:00
Content of announcement in Estonian
Title
AS Tallinna Vesi saatis Majandus- ja Kommunikatsiooniministrile kirjaliku pöördumise, palvega viia läbi põhjalik uurimine seoses Eestis kehtiva hinnametoodikaga
Message
10. septembril 2012.a. saatis AS Tallinna Vesi Majandus- ja
Kommunikatsiooniminister Juhan Partsile pöördumise, palvega teostada
üksikasjalik ning avaliku kajastusega järelevalvemenetlus Konkurentsiameti
poolt kommunaalettevõtetele rakendatava hinnametoodika ning AS-i Tallinna Vesi
tariifide kehtestamise eest vastutava Konkurentsiameti juhi Märt Otsa tegevuse
osas.
AS Tallinna Vesi ning ettevõtte aktsionärid on sunnitud Eesti kohtusüsteemis
kaitsma rahvusvahelist erastamislepingut, mis sõlmiti Eesti Vabariigi Valitsuse
täielikul toetusel ja teadmisel. Kohtuvaidluse põhjuseks on Konkurentsiameti
väide, et rahvusvaheline erastamisleping ei olnud kooskõlas kehtiva
seadusandlusega erastamise ajal ega täna. Ettevõtte aktsionäridele 25. juunil
2012 saadetud vastuskirjas, toetas Majandus- ja Kommunikatsiooniminister
Konkurentsiameti seisukohta.
Konkurentsiameti arvamus põhineb hinnangul, et „tavapraktikana“ kasutatav
majandusregulatsioon teistes Eesti tegevussektorites põhineb teistsugusel
metoodikal võrreldes AS-i Tallinna Vesi rahvusvahelises erastamislepingus
kokkulepituga, mistõttu ei ole AS Tallinna Vesi ning selle investoritel põhjust
eeldada rahvusvahelise erastamislepingu tingimuste kehtimist.
Uue avaliku teabe ilmnemine viimastel nädalatel heidab märkimisväärset kahtlust
Konkurentsiameti “tavapraktikana” kohaldatavale regulatsioonile. Nimetatud
informatsiooni valguses ootab AS Tallinna Vesi, et Minister teostab täies mahus
ning avaliku kajastusega järelevalvemenetluse nii regulatsiooni kui
Konkurentsiameti poolsete väidete osas, mis puudutavad AS-i Tallinna Vesi ja
selle investoreid. Samuti, et Minister kontrolliks, kas Konkurentsiamet on:
1. teadlikult kasutanud ebatäpseid ja vastuolulisi seisukohti ning ka
tegutsenud vastuoluliselt, lubades kohalikel investoritel kasutada
erinevaid regulatsiooni meetodeid, samas kui AS Tallinna Vesi puhul KA
välistas rahvusvahelise erastamise tingimuste järgimise;
2. teadlikult täiesti ebatäpsete süüdistuste alusel sundinud AS Tallinna Vesi
ja selle aktsionäre kaitsma rahvusvahelist erastamislepingut kohtus;
3. teadlikult eksitanud nii Eesti kohtuid kui EL Komisjoni Eesti Vabariigis
teostatava majandusregulatsiooni osas.
Ministrile saadetud kiri ning selle lisa 1 on lisatud teatele manusena.
Vastavalt Eesti seadusandlusele, on Ministril kuni 30 päeva aega, et AS-i
Tallinna Vesi pöördumisele ning küsimustele vastata. AS Tallinna Vesi hoiab
aktsionäre edasiste arengutega, nii käesoleva teema kui erastamislepingut
puudutava vaidlusega, kursis börsikeskkonna vahendusel.
Ian John Alexander Plenderleith
Juhatuse esimees
Mariliis Mia Topp
Kommunikatsioonijuht
AS Tallinna Vesi
[email protected]
62 62 275
Content of announcement in English
Title
AS Tallinna Vesi has written to the Minister of Economy and Communications requesting an investigation into tariff setting in Estonia
Message
On 10th of September 2012 AS Tallinna Vesi submitted a detailed letter to Mr.
Juhan Parts, the Minister of Economy and Communications, requesting that the
Minister conduct a detailed and public enquiry into utility tariff setting by
the Competition Authority, and the conduct of Mr. Märt Ots, the Head of the
Competition Authority, as the individual responsible for setting AS Tallinna
Vesi’s tariffs.
AS Tallinna Vesi and its shareholders have been forced to defend the
international privatisation contract, which was carried out with the full
knowledge and support of the Estonian Government, in the Estonian courts. This
legal dispute has arisen because the Competition Authority has alleged that the
international privatisation contract was not in accordance with Estonian law
neither at the time of the privatisation nor today. In his letter to
shareholders dated 25th of June 2012, the Minister of Economy and
Communications also supported this position.
The Competition Authority’s reasoning for making such an allegation was that
the “custom and practice” for economic regulation in all other sectors in
Estonia had always used a different methodology compared to that agreed in AS
Tallinna Vesi’s international privatisation contract, and as such AS Tallinna
Vesi and its investors could not have any legitimate expectations that the
international privatisation contract should be honoured.
In the past few weeks new publicly available information has come to light that
casts significant doubt on the accuracy of the allegations of “custom and
practice” regulation made by the Competition Authority. As a consequence of
this new information AS Tallinna Vesi expects the Minister to carry out a
further detailed investigation into regulation and the correctness of the
Competition Authority’s statements against AS Tallinna Vesi and its
shareholders, and in particular to for the Minister to review whether or not
the Competition Authority has:
1. knowingly used inaccurate and contradictory statements and actions in
allowing different regulatory methodologies to be used for local investors,
whilst in the case of AS Tallinna Vesi all the terms and conditions of the
international privatisation were disallowed;
2. knowingly forced AS Tallinna Vesi and its shareholders into a defence of
the international privatisation contract based on a set of completely
inaccurate accusations;
3. knowingly misled the Estonian Courts and the EU Commission over the status
of economic regulation in Estonia.
A full copy of the text of the letter and annex can be found as an attachment
to current notice.
In accordance with Estonian regulations the Minister has up to 30 days to
respond to AS Tallinna Vesi’s letter and questions. AS Tallinna Vesi will keep
all its shareholders updated of developments on this and other matters related
to the privatisation contract dispute via the Tallinn Stock Exchange Website.
Ian John Alexander Plenderleith
Chairman of the Management Board
Mariliis Mia Topp
Head of Communications
AS Tallinna Vesi
[email protected]
62 62 275