The Polish anti-monopoly body UOKiK has cleared the state-controlled power conglomerate PGE to take over the Polish assets of French peer EDF on condition that power from one acquired power plant is sold via the power stock exchange until 2021, UOKiK said on October 5.

UOKiK said in September that the takeover could limit competition on the Polish power market in that PGE could gain a dominant position in the electrical power production and distribution market. “This, in turn, could translate into a drop in turnover on the Polish Power Exchange (TGE) and negatively affect the retail market,” UOKiK said in a statement.

To avert that scenario, UOKiK agreed to PGE’s proposal that all power from the Rybnik power plant, which is one of the assets being taken over, will be sold on the TGE in 2018-2021. The obligation will cease if PGE sells the plant to another company or if the entire PGE group is obliged to sell more power via TGE.

“Practically all the electrical power produced so far by EDF Polska, which has been sold to wholesale customers, will be offered on the stock exchange. None of the entrepreneurs interested in purchasing this energy will be discriminated against,” UOKiK’s head Marek Niechcial said in a statement.

PGE signed an agreement to buy EDF’s Polish heat and power assets for PLN4.5bn (€1.1bn) in May. The deal is part of an effort to broaden state-ownership in the Polish energy sector. The PiS government insists the state raise its participation in strategic sectors, including energy and banking.

EDF owns eight cogeneration plants, four district heating networks, and a power plant in Poland, via subsidiary EDF Polska. The French company is looking to unload the assets as part of a drive to divest older fossil fuel plants and concentrate on more environmentally friendly capacity.