Today’s one-year anniversary for the “Bridge to 2025” Conclusions Paper is a testimony to the strong link between regulators’ “Bridge” actions and the Energy Union strategy, and our engagement in:
- promoting liquid, competitive and integrated wholesale markets and a new deal for consumers;
- enhancing Europe’s security of supply; and
- moving to a low carbon society with more renewables and smart, flexible responsive energy.
Regulators’ “Bridge to 2025” Conclusions Paper, launched in September 2014, recommends a set of actions for regulators, Member States, the European Commission and energy actors (including consumers).
Delivering the Energy Union through dialogue and collective action
One year on from the Bridge launch, regulators are already realising results focused on:
- strong stakeholder engagement to deliver the Energy Union strategy
- linking wholesale & retail markets in an integrated Internal Energy Market (IEM)
- new governance arrangements fit for an integrated market
- strengthening interactions with regulators within and outside the EU including through regulatory capacity-building along IEM principles
Lord Mogg, Chairman of ACER’s Board of Regulators and President of CEER, underlined the importance of continuous stakeholder engagement and delivering tangible benefits to consumers:
“Strong commitment and collective action by all energy actors, consumers and the Institutions is key to delivering the Energy Union strategy. Our forward-looking work on distribution networks and retail markets should help bridge the gap between wholesale and retail markets.”
ACER ready to play a stronger role
ACER Director, Alberto Pototschnig, stated:
“Completion of the Internal Energy Market is at the core of the Energy Union Strategy. An integrated market, with an increased interaction between electricity and gas sectors, requires even greater cooperation among all actors and a fit for purpose governance and regulatory framework. ACER stands ready to play a greater role in a more robust regulatory oversight of the wholesale energy market, to reinforce regulatory cooperation and oversee the evolving role of network operators and other bodies. This requires firm commitments and action by all of us and effective monitoring.”
Regulators, in close cooperation with stakeholders, are contributing to delivering the Energy Union through ACER’s work on (post-2014) Internal Energy Market completion, infrastructure development, wholesale market monitoring, Gas Target Model implementation and a review of the Electricity Target Model. Concrete examples of CEER’s work include an assessment of the new role distribution system operators (DSOs) will play in the future IEM, advice on data management, forward-thinking work across a number of areas including security of gas supply, gas storage, well-functioning retail markets and future renewables support schemes in Europe, and continuing efforts to better engage consumer bodies in the regulatory process.
Access the event page here.
Access the ACER press release here.