From:	Nebojsa Subanovic, Meteo-Centar, Zagreb, Croatia
Date:	13 March 2002

 

1) Lack of Level Playing Field

MC: National Meteorological Service (CMHS) do not accept to define prices for service providers. In spite of MC requests for as long as 13 months CMHS have not accepted to define prices, technical access or any other condition for real time meteorological data requested from MC.

The historical data archives are available under very strange conditions. For example MC has to declare precise purpose for all requested data, which means end user of services, and analysis purpose. In reality that means that CMHS can unfairly compete to private service providers misusing in this way collected information. Further, when MC is requesting data it takes unreasonably long time even to get an answer, if any answer is got. In this way, MC lost a few contracts on the basis of late offer to final user.

It is broadly known that at the same time CMHS is selling data and services to direct users under negotiable prices and conditions. In some cases, covered with the “research” data have been donned and of course, finally have been commercially used.

 

2) Anti-Competitive Behavior in the Marketplace

MC: Besides already described practices, CMHS is trying to defend its monopoly and misuse its position as governmental organisation.

More precisely, CMHS is taking actions against competition trying to question the legality of private sector at its customers but with no real argument but the position of CMHS as governmental organisation.

Further, CMHS is in position to propose the law on meteorological activities on behalf of Croatian Government, which means that it is in position to define conditions for private meteorological service providers. Based on the monopoly strategy, CMHS is trying to achieve the right to be in the Croatian meteorological market and at the same time to regulate it. Moreover, CMHS should have the unlimited access to all data basis and archives of private meteorological companies!

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