An Inside information platform (IIP) is an electronic system for the delivery of information which allows multiple market participants to share information with the wider public and complies with the minimum quality requirements listed in the ACER Guidance.
The Regulation on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure (TEN-E Regulation) introduced the cross-border cost allocation (CBCA) as a regulatory tool to facilitate the implementation of projects of common interest (PCIs).
European PCIs and Projects of Mutual Interests (PMIs) are key cross-border infrastructure projects that further link the energy systems of EU countries. Such infrastructure projects are a strategic priority for achieving Europe’s ambitious clean energy goals.
CBCA decisions establish the sharing of the efficient investment costs of a PCI between the countries which are significantly impacted by the projects. NRAs jointly scrutinise the investment requests and determine which countries will contribute to financing them, and in which proportion. Cost sharing agreements may facilitate the implementation of PCIs if the territorial distribution of benefits and costs is not well aligned.
Promoters of PCIs and PMIs can submit their investment requests, including for CBCA, to the relevant national regulatory authority (NRA). In case the NRAs cannot reach an agreement after 6 months, or upon NRAs’ joint request, ACER serves as a last-resort decision maker in CBCA cases.
In June 2023, ACER adopted a recommendation for identifying good practices for the treatment of investment requests for PCIs. It builds upon past decisions and stakeholders’ feedback collected through a workshop and public consultation.
The recommendation provides guidance to project promoters on submitting investment requests, as well as to NRAs on their assessment and the allocation of costs among Member States. Additionally, it outlines reporting requirements of project promoters towards NRAs and transmission system operators (TSOs) of the relevant Member States.
What are the main elements of ACER’s CBCA recommendation?
This CBCA recommendation shall be regularly updated as necessary, in particular to ensure consistency with the principles on the offshore grids for renewable energy cross-border cost sharing. ACER shall consult all relevant stakeholders when modifying the recommendation.
ACER’s 2025 monitoring shows:
NRAs should inform ACER about investment requests and CBCA decisions without delay and share the relevant documents.
The guidance on the submission of an investment request for project promoters is accompanied by a template (Annex IV) summarising all relevant information to be provided.
The Regulation on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure (TEN-E Regulation) was first introduced in 2013 to facilitate the development of European energy networks.
The Regulation was revised in 2022 to align with the goals of the European Green Deal and introduced the concept of projects of mutual interest (PMIs) alongside the existing projects of common interest (PCIs). These are key cross-border infrastructure projects designed to improve network connections between EU Member States (PCIs) or with non-EU countries (PMIs). These projects benefit from accelerated permitting procedures and funding, as they are key to achieving the EU’s energy and climate objectives.
The European Commission is responsible for selecting and publishing a list of these projects every two years (known as the Union list). In 2024, the Commission published the first Union list including both PCIs and PMIs.
ACER monitors and evaluates the implementation progress of PCIs and PMIs based on reports submitted by project promoters and national competent authorities.
ACER's monitoring dashboard includes the latest available information up to Q4 2025. It helps you explore:
Pursuant to Article 59(1) of EB Regulation, ENTSO-E shall publish a European report focusing on monitoring, describing and analysing the implementation of EB Regulation, as well as reporting on the progress made concerning the integration of balancing markets in Europe.
The format of the report shall vary as follow:
(a) two years after entry into force of this Regulation and subsequently every second year a detailed report shall be published;
(b) three years after entry into force of this Regulation and subsequently every second year a shorter version of the report shall be published to review the progress made and update the performance indicators.
No actions have been completed yet with regard to this topic.
Pursuant to Article 60 of EB Regulation, at least once every two years, each TSO shall publish a report on balancing covering the previous two calendar years, which shall either be in English or at least contain an executive summary in English. The Agency plans to gather and publish these reports.
No actions have been completed yet with regard to this topic.
The North West (NW) region has been inactive since 2014. Cooperation continues on a bilateral or multilateral basis, outside the setting of the GRI.
The region was formed by the following countries:
Belgium
Denmark
France
Germany
Ireland
Luxemburg
Netherlands
Sweden
United Kingdom
Norway (observer, non-EU country)
The region produces, and consumes, the highest amount of gas in Europe. The region also hosts the most developed gas markets and hubs in the EU.
The South South-East (SSE) region includes 20 countries: 12 EU Member States, plus 8 Energy Community Contracting Parties.
The South South-East Gas Regional Initiative is composed of:
Austria
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Participating Energy Community Contracting Parties:
Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kosovo
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Moldova
Montenegro
Serbia
Ukraine
The region is co-chaired by ERC and E-Control (respectively the North Macedonian and Austrian energy regulator).
The participation of the Energy Community in the GRI SSE is the result of an intensified cooperation started in 2014. Since then, the Energy Community Secretariat has joined the meetings together with the Contracting Parties.
The South Gas Regional Initiative is composed of:
Spain
Portugal
France
The Spanish Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) leads the Initiative, whose long-term goal is to integrate France, Portugal and Spain into a single regional gas market.
Moving forward the further integration of the Spanish and Portuguese markets, Transmission System Operators have proposed a new algorithm to offer cross-border day-ahead interruptible capacity as bundled product.
The Baltic Regional Gas Market Coordination Group is composed of:
Finland
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
The first Regional Gas Market Coordination Group (RGMCG) Action Plan began on 2017 with the implementation of the implicit capacity allocation of the interconnection points between Latvia-Lithuania and Estonia-Latvia. It provided the organised market place where gas could be easily traded cross-border, while at the same time minimising the administrative burden of potentially having third party access (TPA) and balancing agreements between Transmission System Operators (TSOs).
In 2018, the tariff model and inter-TSO compensation (ITC) mechanism for the common Baltic-Finnish market was created, resulting in a stepwise integration approach.
The NRAs of Finland, Estonia and Latvia (FinEstLat) agreed to strengthen their cooperation by creating the FinEstLat market, which became operational on 1 January 2020.
The FinEstLat single natural gas transmission entry-exit system, also called the 'FinEstLat system', has specific characteristics.
The NRAs have amended the methodologies for calculating the transmission tariffs and approved the tariff scheme, which became applicable as of 1 January 2020. ACER published its analyses of the consultation documents of the Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Finnish reference price methodologies.
Two balancing areas are set up in the FinEstLat system, considering the different level of market maturity in the FinEstLat countries: the common Estonian-Latvian balancing zone and the Finnish balancing zone.
The Regional Gas Market Coordination Group (RGMCG) continues working on a four-country market model, including Lithuania into the regional market.
Following the Roadmap approved in early 2020:
Following the mandate of the European Commission, the gas regions elaborated regional Work Plans. These outline the main projects and activities to be developed at regional level and serve as the main implementation reference. All projects clearly indicate and plan the deliverables, the deadlines and responsible parties involved.
The currently adopted Work Plan of the South region focuses on:
The currently adopted Work Plan of the South South East (SEE) region focuses on:
The North-West region has been inactive since 2014.
Whenever needed, the Agency provides guidance and coordinates the updates of the Work Plans, suggesting an effective and coherent planning.
The Gas Regional Initiatives (GRIs) bring market participants together to test solutions for cross-border issues and to develop pilot projects that can be exported to other regions.
The European internal gas market has been divided in four main regions:
South GRI
South South-East GRI
North-West (currently inactive)
Regional Gas Market Coordination Group (Baltic Region) (informally joined the initiative in 2018)
The Initiatives have contributed to noticeable developments in different areas such as capacity allocation, infrastructure development and market integration.
Progresses were possible thanks to effective stakeholders' engagement ensured in different fora:
Composed by all NRAs of the region, it coordinates, facilitates and drives forward the regional priority projects. The European Commission and national governments may provide useful input to identify and solve specific issues.
Includes the relevant infrastructure operators (transmission systems, interconnectors, LNG and storage facilities) and provides a technical framework for implementing effective solutions.
All other key market participants and consumers are brought together in each region to engage in the discussions.
The Regional Initiatives developed regional Work Plans and cross-regional Roadmaps (in cooperation with ENTSOG), in order to promote the implementation of the Network Codes and market integration.