Italy antitrust attacks new Atlantia toll-road rules

ROME, July 5 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust authority said on Saturday new highway concession rules involving toll-road operator Atlantia (ATL.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) restricted competition and penalised consumers.

In a statement, the competition watchdog asked government and parliament to reconsider the new rules, approved last month.

The concession rules between Atlantia and state-owned highway operator ANAS anchor tariff rises to a fixed percentage of inflation for the duration of the concession.

But the antitrust body said the old system, which tied tariff increases to productivity and quality of service, was more favourable for consumers.

It also said the new concession, which requires Atlantia to boost the highway network, restricted competition because it did not call for a public tender for different operators.

Atlantia had agreed in October with ANAS on around 7 billion euros of investment as part of the deal on the new concession.

But the new rules were blocked by the previous centre-left government, which lost power to conservative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in April.

The new administration pushed through a decree in June allowing the deal to go ahead. (Reporting by Silvia Aloisi, Editing by Peter Blackburn)