The entire EU energy market was thrown open to competition on Sunday 1st July, allowing consumers to choose their gas and electricity suppliers and spelling an end for monopolistic state-run utilities. The liberalization process has been resisted in some countries and welcomed in others, highlighting different attitudes to competition and the notion of protecting national interests in the energy sector. The European Commission, which has championed the process, notes that reforms have not been fully implemented in some parts of the EU, meaning a handful of former state energy monopolies still enjoy a crushing grip on their domestic markets.