(BRUSSELS) - The European Commission said on Thursday it has lodged formal antitrust charges against ENI on suspicions the Italian energy group conspired to keep competitors from using its gas pipelines.

Europe's top competition watchdog sent the charges earlier this month alleging the company sought to restrict access to its gas transmission pipelines and underinvested in the network to keep potential rivals at bay.

The charge-sheet "indicates that these practices may have weakened competitors on the market, and harmed customers in Italy," the commission said in a statement.

The commission launched initial antitrust proceedings against ENI in May 2007 acting on information obtained during raids on the company's offices the previous year.

The commission said that the legal action targetted the pipeline network delivering gas from Austria and Germany to Italy.

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