Price monitoring and cost accounting

The Agency may impose measures in relation to cost covering and price control of certain services that are provided for the purposes of providing interconnection or operator access.

The Agency may impose the obligations in relation to cost covering and price control of certain services that are provided for the purposes of providing interconnection or operator access, if it deems according to market analysis that an operator with Significant Market Power, due to lack of efficient competition or for the purpose of suppressing it, might keep either excessive prices or too low difference between wholesale and retail prices.

The Agency shall take into account the risks, investments and ensuring a reasonable rate of return of the operators investments.

An operator with imposed measures of cost orientation shall provide evidence that prices are estimated based on expenses with a reasonable rate of investment return. While controlling the fulfillment of such an obligation, the Agency may apply the methods of cost based accounting independent from those applied by the operator. The Agency may request an operator by a Decision, to provide explanation and, as per need, alter its prices; the operator shall bear the potential burden of proof.

The Agency may prescribe a cost based method or methods of pricing, which shall be proportionate to the purpose of improving efficiency and sustainable competition, development objectives and increasing the benefits for consumers. The Agency may use comparative prices from comparable markets or markets with developed competition, bearing in mind the specifics of the local market.

For reasons of the fulfillment of obligations, an operator shall implement a cost accounting system determined by the Agency by a Decision. The Agency may determine the form and methodology of accounting which shall be applied by such an operator, including categorization and costs classification, and rules applied to costs allocation. A certified auditor shall verify the compliance of the cost accounting system according to this Article, and the Agency shall publish annually the statement concerning this compliance on its website.