UPDATE 1-GDF Suez offers gas remedies in EU antitrust case

* Proposes to cut share of import capacity below 50 pct

* Remedies could be made legally binding

(Adds details of remedies, Kroes comments)

By Bate Felix

BRUSSELS, July 8 (Reuters) - France's GDF Suez (GSZ.PA) has offered to cut its share of French gas import capacity to below 50 percent by 2014 due to EU concerns that it abused its market dominance, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

The Commission, competition watchdog of the 27-nation European Union, said it would test the remedies offered by GDF and had invited interested parties to comment within two months from July 9. It may then make the commitments legally binding.

GDF's share of natural gas entry capacity in France is currently close to two thirds, the French utility said.

A preliminary investigation found GDF Suez had long-term reservations for most of France's gas import capacity, closing off competitors, the EU regulator said.

"Whilst not acknowledging any infringement, GDF Suez proposed to address the Commission's concerns through a major structural reduction in its long-term reservations of gas import capacity," the Commission said.

"These commitments could have a major structural impact on the possibility for other companies to compete on the French market, to the benefit of domestic and industrial gas consumers," it said.

GDF Suez said in a statement that it would immediately start the handover of significant market capacities at the Montoir-de-Bretagne and Fos Cavaou tanker terminals and at the Taisnieres and Obergailbach gas entry points in France.

"The proposed commitments could make it easier for would-be competitors to enter the French gas market," EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in the EU statement.

Kroes said the improved access to infrastructure for GDF's competitors was essential for effective competition.

"I am talking in particular about access to LNG terminals and pipelines," she told a news conference in Brussels.

In a separate antitrust case, the Commission fined GDF Suez and German utility E.ON (EONGn.DE) 553 million euros ($770 million) each on Wednesday for secretly carving up gas markets. [ID:nL8515198]

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