II.3.6.
What wholesale energy markets and products are covered by REMIT?
Answer: Wholesale energy markets include both commodity markets and derivative markets. The wholesale energy markets include, inter alia, regulated markets, multilateral trading facilities and over-the-counter (OTC) transactions and bilateral contracts, direct or through brokers.
REMIT applies to wholesale energy markets, which means any market within the Union on which wholesale energy products are traded.
According to Article 2(4) of REMIT, wholesale energy products means the following contracts and derivatives, irrespective of where and how they are traded:
a) contracts for the supply of electricity or natural gas where delivery is in the Union;
b) derivatives relating to electricity or natural gas produced, traded or delivered in the Union;
c) contracts relating to the transportation of electricity or natural gas in the Union; and
d) derivatives relating to the transportation of electricity or natural gas in the Union.
Contracts for the supply and distribution of electricity or natural gas for the use of final customers are not wholesale energy products. However, contracts for the supply and distribution of electricity or natural gas to final customers with a consumption capacity greater than 600 GWh per year shall be treated as wholesale energy products. Further guidance on the application of the definition of wholesale energy products is provided in the Agency’s Guidance to NRAs.
The prohibitions of insider trading and market manipulation under REMIT do not apply to wholesale energy products which are financial instruments and to which Article 9 of MAD[1] applies, i.e. wholesale energy products which are financial instruments admitted to trading on a regulated market in at least one Member State, or for which a request for admission to trading on such a market has been made, irrespective of whether or not the transaction itself actually takes place on that market. This exemption only applies to the prohibitions of insider trading and market manipulation. The REMIT obligations, data collection and monitoring apply to all kinds of wholesale energy products.
[1] Directive 2014/57/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on criminal sanctions for market abuse (market abuse directive, MAD).