A harmonised EU-wide methodology for cost benefit analysis
The Regulation on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure ('TEN-E Regulation') foresees the development of a harmonised EU-wide methodology for cost benefit analysis (CBA) of projects included in the future Ten Year Network Development Plans (TYNDP), and for selecting the Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) and Projects of Mutual Interest (PMIs) at European level.
The Regulation also foresees the use of this methodology for deciding on the cost allocation of cross-border infrastructure projects (CBCA). The CBA methodology is developed and improved over time by ENTSO-E and is approved by the European Commission.
Image
Cost-Benefit Analysis
What's the role of ACER?
Whenever an updated CBA methodology is proposed by ENTSO-E, ACER provides an opinion on it to ENTSO-E.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
What does ACER say?
In its latest Opinion, ACER notes improvements, which include:
the assessment of hybrid offshore projects (i.e. grid projects that serve a dual purpose, to connect offshore generation and interconnect two bidding zones);
the definition of the reference grid; and
the assessment of projects’ commissioning dates and the commissioning year of projects involving multiple investments.
However, important shortcomings are also identified, such as the need to extend the analysis of security of supply by considering future extreme weather events, to simplify the assessment of hybrid offshore projects, to foresee the identification of beneficiaries and cost bearers at national level, and the lack of concrete methodologies for the assessment of ancillary services’ benefits.
ACER urges ENTSO-E to adapt the draft CBA Guideline in line with the considerations included in its Opinion before submitting it to the European Commission for approval.
Developing new networks in Europe in order to facilitate cross-border flows requires a close coordination of several processes and actors.
A common EU-wide Cost-Benefit Analysis methodology was developed by ENTSO-E to be used for infrastructure projects assessment, and it is reviewed when needed.
Every two years, based on the scenarios on the future state of the electrical system, ENTSO-E assesses the projects included in the EU-wide Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP).
Network development
What's the role of ACER?
ACER is strongly involved in all network development aspects, assessing not only the methodologies and guidelines developed by ENTSO-E for the various elements of the TYNDP, but also how they are implemented for the project assessments in the TYNDP. The Agency also verifies the consistency of the TYNDP with national development plans and provides an overview of related infrastructure reference costs.
Network development
How can regulation incentivise efficient investments in electricity grids?
Image
Significant enhancement in electricity grid capacityis needed to realise Europe’s decarbonisation objectives and ensure a high level of security of supply. New grid build-out is just one way and proving to be the costliest way to do it. Despite their advantages, innovative solutions are not yet spearheading investment choices.
In the context of the European Commission’s EU Action Plan for Grids, ACER is looking at best practices to promote smart grids and network efficiency technologies through tariff design.
ACER has thus commissioned the Florence School of Regulation (FSR) to conduct a study on existing regulatory frameworks and how regulators could incentivise a more efficient use of existing and future electricity grids.
Building on the previous research conducted by FSR on behalf of ACER, the report presents a new regulatory scheme which focuses on the value projects bring (i.e. benefit) and not on their costs. By sharing this benefit between the grid user and grid operator, a stronger incentive for technology-neutral solutions is created while mitigating the tariff increase (in comparison to the business as usual, e.g. investing into infrastructure alone).
Electricity transmission networks, once developed purely for national requirements, have become increasingly interconnected across Europe, creating one of the largest electricity transmission systems in the world. The system enables the operation of the Internal Energy Market (IEM), requiring coordinated actions of all Member States in terms of its development and operation.
To facilitate the integration of the IEM, individual Transmission System Operators (TSOs) cooperate under the umbrella of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for electricity (ENTSO-E) when developing new infrastructure assets.
Image
Infrastructure
What's the role of ACER?
ACER plays a crucial role in overseeing all aspects of network development by:
Reviewing the draft Union–wide Ten-year Network Development Plan prepared by ENTSO-E every two years, assessing its consistency with the national Ten-year Network Development Plans, and monitoring its implementation
Coordinating National Regulatory Authorities' work on establishing and making publicly available a set of indicators and reference values of unit investment costs of infrastructure projects
Supporting the selection of priority projects in Europe, by providing its views on the biennial draft regional lists of Projects of Common Interest, and by monitoring annually their implementation
Monitoring the implementation of the Inter-TSO compensation mechanism
Deciding on some cross-border issues, such as the allocation of the investment costs of projects of common interest or on granting exemptions from third party access in case NRAs fail to agree
Striving towards efficient and cost reflective network tariffs, by reviewing the appropriateness of transmission charges to be paid by generators and identifying best practices of transmission and distribution tariff methodologies
Ensuring the efficient use of congestion revenues, by approving the methodology proposed by all TSOs
Providing views on ENTSO-E's work planning and Innovation activities
At ACER we value diversity and make no distinction on the grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.
ACER currently employs twenty different nationalities and is committed to fostering a culturally diverse work environment.
The Agency guarantees respect for everyone at the workplace and it is committed to prevent any psychological or sexual harassment.
A rainbow of activities shows Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) in action in ACER:
Training
Human Resource (HR) policies and practices
D&I resource library
Dedicated D&I section in the Staff Newsletter
Fostering a culture of inclusion through a dedicated D&I group (pro-actively led by ACER’s staff)
the adoption the EUAN Charter on Diversity and Inclusion (May 2021);
information sharing and awareness raising activities e.g. through workshops/on-line talks on D&I issues to share good practices;
ACER’s internal D&I survey inspired a common D&I survey template for use across the EUAN, ensuring an effective data collection on D&I matters. Read more on the EUAN website.
Representing diversity and respecting dignity at the workplace
Flexible work arrangements, days of leave and public holidays
ACER strongly supports and encourages a healthy work-life balance. The Agency introduced flexible and core working hours, so that Staff members and SNEs are free to choose the beginning and the end of their working day while ensuring their office presence during core hours.
Telework is also supported for Staff and SNEs, so to carry out their duties outside the Agency's premises.
ACER has between 17 and 19 days of public holidays spread across the calendar year.
Staff members and SNEs are entitled to annual leave of 2 days per month.
Wellbeing
At ACER, we CARE!
The Agency offers annual medical checks to staff and organises seasonal vaccinations. It also offers the possibility of specific and ad hoc medical and consultation services concerning physical and mental health.
The Agency also subsidises several sport activities, such as football, yoga, fitness, climbing, Pilates, and many more.
Any newcomer can also benefit from the Welcome Buddy programme helping new colleagues to get a good start with their new life at ACER and in Ljubljana, as well as to integrate quickly in the new environment.
ACER's employees are also supported by the Staff Committee (SC), acting as a bridge between the staff and the management and ensuring the interest of staff is represented.
Learning and Development
Our learning and development portfolio ranges from language courses, own initiative learning, in-house courses, to specific training in partner institutions such as the European Commission, Florence School of Regulation, European School of Administration, and many more.
Remuneration, allowances, and other benefits
ACER offers a competitive remuneration scheme and several allowances.
Remunerationincludes basic salary, family allowances and other benefits (compensation of costs related to entry into service, installation, annual travel and removal), depending on the individual situation.
If you are an expat with an employment contract of at least one year, you will also be entitled to the VAT exemption during your first twelve months in Slovenia.
Health insurance is provided by the European Commission - Joint Sickness and Insurance Scheme (JSIS), starting with the first day of your employment at the Agency. It can also be extended to your family under certain conditions.
ACER offers also external legal service for its staff, exclusively available for personal purposes. The service provides free-of-charge legal advising in various areas of Slovene law, such as consumer rights, property law, or tax law. The main purpose is to facilitate the integration of staff and families in Slovenia, as the host country.
Office facilities
In the heart of Ljubljana, ACER welcomes its staff and guests in modern and well-equipped offices. The most important services, facilities, shops and restaurants are at a walking distance from ACER offices.
Life in Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the green capital of a green country and is considered to be a yet undiscovered gem of Europe. It is one of the smallest European capitals, with less than 300.000 residents. Awarded the title of European Green Capital 2016, the city features a widely pedestrianized city centre, well-developed cycling networks and a substantial presence of green areas, distinguishing itself for its high liveability and security levels.
Ljubljana is located in the heart of Slovenia, making it a perfect starting point for any trip. The country represents an earthly paradise for outdoor lovers offering a wide range of activities: from skiing to rafting, from climbing to cycling and horse-riding, In Slovenia, due to its relatively small size, you can swim in the sea and climb mountains on the same day.
Temporary Staff posts are offered for a fixed period of 5 years with a possibility of renewal. In general, Temporary Staff posts are classified according to the nature of the duties into:
Administrators' function group (AD): comprises eleven grades (AD5 - AD15) corresponding to technical, administrative, advisory, linguistic and scientific duties,
Assistants' function group (AST): comprises nine grades (AST3 - AST11) corresponding to executive, technical and clerical duties.
2. Contract Staff
Contract Staff are classified in four function groups according to the nature of work:
Function group I: Manual and Administrative support,
Function group II: Clerical and secretarial, office management and other equivalent tasks,
Function group III: Executive, drafting and accountancy and other equivalent tasks,
Function group IV: Administrative, advisory, linguistic and equivalent technical tasks.
The duration of contracts for Contract Staff varies according to the needs of the Agency. Contract Staff are offered a contract with a fixed period of maximum 3 years which may be renewed.
Careers at ACER are open to nationals of the European Union and EFTA Member States.
3. Seconded National Experts
Seconded national experts (SNEs) are civil servants from a national, regional or local public administration or an International Governmental Organisation, working temporarily for the Agency and contributing to its work under specific rules.
SNEs are not recruited by the Agency: they do not become ACER Staff Members but remain employed and paid by their initial employer. As a compensation for the additional costs of living temporarily abroad, SNEs are entitled to daily and monthly subsistence allowances.
The initial secondment period cannot not be less than six months and more than two years, renewed up to a total of four years. The period of the secondment may be extended further if decided by the Director.
4. Interim Staff
The Agency can be supported by interim staff on a temporary basis, for instance under periods of heavy workload, or for the organisation of events, meetings and workshops, receptions, and welcoming events.
Interim staff is engaged through local contracting agencies. The vacancy notices are posted on various Slovenian job portals.
5. Trainees
Trainee positions are targeted to young university graduates to help them in gaining technical and operational experience. Through their everyday work in the Agency, trainees have the opportunity to put into practice the technical knowledge acquired during their studies or professional careers.
Traineeships last for a minimum of three months to a maximum of six and may be extended once for up to six months (1 year in total).
Are you a strongly motivated, highly qualified and competent graduate? If your answer is yes, you landed in the right place.
The ACER traineeship programme aims to attract university graduates who are interested in developing professionally by embarking on an exciting learning opportunity.
The programme creates a pool of talents with first-hand experience in the European Union and on the Agency’s specific procedures. In exchange, trainees acquire technical and operational experience through their everyday work in the Agency and are able to practice the technical knowledge acquired in their studies or professional careers.
A traineeship at ACER is a great opportunity to develop professionally in a multinational and intellectually stimulating environment, while contributing to the Agency's mission.
Who can apply?
The traineeship programme is opened for university graduates, nationals of a Member State of the European Union, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who have completed their university studies (3 years or more), attested by a diploma.
Traineeship candidates are also required to have a very good knowledge of at least two EU languages, one of them should be English.
Traineeships last a minimum of 3 months to a maximum of 6 and can be extended once for up to 6 other months (1 year in total).
Read carefully the Rules before submitting the application!
Selection procedure
The Agency draws a list of eligible and suitable applicants according to the current needs and available places.
Before the final selection decision, applicants can be contacted by the Human Resources Team to verify their availability, suitability, language skills, and to discuss reciprocal expectations. The final decision is then taken by the ACER Director.
All candidates are informed about the outcomes of the selection procedure.
Traineeship grant
Trainees not receiving a salary, scholarship or other form of financial support are provided with a monthly grant. As of 1st January 2025, the Traineeship grant amounts to 1,332.05 EUR. Trainees can also be awarded some extra contributions:
Travel expenses (beginning and end of traineeship): Trainees who have completed at least a 3-month traineeship period might be entitled to the reimbursement of their travel expenses.
Public transportation: All trainees are granted a monthly pass for public transport within Ljubljana.
FAQ
For more information about the eligibility criteria, rights and duties of trainees, have a look at our FAQs. If you have further questions, contact: Traineeship(at)acer.europa.eu
What does your position entail in your day-to-day tasks?
My position entails a lot of interaction with stakeholders involved in the market integration process (EC, NRAs, TSOs, NEMOs and market participants) and, of course, with my team.
My daily tasks essentially consist of making sure that we deliver on time, with the required level of quality and consistency, and in a pleasant working environment.
Is there anything you find particularly enjoyable of working at ACER that you would like to share?
What I find particularly exciting in working in ACER is this opportunity which is given to us to make the difference, to have a real impact on the market integration process. It's always rewarding to see that the work you have been intensively involved in, sometimes during several months or even years, eventually delivers concrete and positive results at EU level.
Christophe Gence-Creux - Head of the Electricity Department
Documents
What do you think about working at ACER?
ACER is a lively and stimulating international working environment, full of opportunities, great colleagues and challenges. Having spent several years working for the Italian energy sector, it is such a great opportunity to be able to directly contribute to the harmonisation of the European energy framework.
What I enjoy the most about working at ACER is the diversity of perspectives it brings together and the high level of commitment. Whether your expertise is legal, scientific, or something else, everyone has a real contribution to bring. It’s exciting to know that our work can directly influence the market and make a difference for the benefit of all European citizens, although it comes with responsibilities.
I also really value ACER’s strong commitment to work–life balance. Its modern and efficient European approach to the way we work supports both high professional standards and personal wellbeing. Such balance helps attracting talented people while fostering a motivated, engaged, and high-performing team.
What do you think about your job at ACER?
HRM has enormous potential to empower people and to release the potential of teams, especially with such an expert, dedicated and diverse team as ours. I like the strong feeling of community and belonging and the possibility to explore and develop my own interests while serving the rest of the staff.
...and about living in Ljubljana?
Since I moved back to Ljubljana, my quality of life has improved a lot. I really appreciate the fact I can walk and bike everywhere.
Ljubljana, despite being small, has a great offer of events and activities for both locals and expats.
Eleonora Nagali - Team Leader in the Market Information and Transparency Department
Every selection procedure is advertised on the ACER website.
Applications are accepted only via the online application tool. Submissions received by any other means or after the deadline will not be considered.
To evaluate all the applications received, a Selection Committee is appointed for each selection procedure. The Selection Committee is composed of at least three members: one member is appointed from the recruiting Department, one from the Administration and a third is proposed by the Staff Committee.
The Selection Committee assesses each application and select the most suitable applicants in an objective, impartial and transparent manner. The selected candidates are then invited to a written examination and an oral interview.
Spontaneous applications
ACER does not consider spontaneous applications. Only applications sent to the relevant functional mailbox before the closing time of an open selection procedure are accepted.
The procedure
Invitations to the interview and written test are sent by the e-mail indicated in the application. The interview is held in English, but the knowledge of other languages may also be tested. Native English speakers can expect to prove their second language skills. The written test is anonymised and conducted in English.
The duration of the written test is between 30-60 minutes followed by 30-60 minutes interview with the appointed Selection Committee.
Candidates invited for an interview, and/or to a medical examination, may be entitled to financial contribution or reimbursement of their travel and subsistence expenses.
Candidates who successfully achieved a mark equal to or higher than 70% of the total points are placed on a reserve list. Placement on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer letter or recruitment.
The selection process may take several months to be completed. During this period, no information other than the status on current selection procedures is released.
All candidates are informed about the outcome of the recruitment procedure.
The European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) is a decentralised EU agency located in Ljubljana.
Working for ACER means being part of a challenging, dynamic, multicultural environment working towards a single energy market to the benefit of all EU consumers.
We all share a set of common core values that we incorporate in our daily work and social relations: cooperating, delivering quality results, communicating, problem solving, being service oriented, knowledge sharing, and welcoming diversity.
Be part of ACER
Believing in a rewarding mission: As an integral part of ACER, you will be contributing to our work towards a fully integrated and well-functioning energy market in Europe.
Supporting growth and development: We sustain your professional development by providing regular feedback and plenty of training opportunities.
Being part of a multicultural and dynamic work environment: You will work with experienced colleagues from all over Europe and beyond, interact with the various departments, NRAs and other energy stakeholders. You will have a chance to impart your knowledge and skills to colleagues and trainees.
Promoting wellbeing: We support your health and wellbeing. We offer private health insurance, and a wide range of welfare services and recreation activities, such as Pilates and yoga classes, football and fitness trainings, cultural activities, Away Days, ergonomic consulting, professional psychological support, or access to confidential counsellors.
Living in one of the green capitals of Europe: Ljubljana is a city with a green soul that proudly holds the European Green Capital 2016 award.
If interested in applying, fill in the 
