Energy regulation

Since the adoption of the first community measures on the internal energy market in the mid-1990s, the minimum regulatory obligations imposed on Member States and the core competencies of regulatory authorities have been harmonised and strengthened. Proper cooperation and coordination between national regulatory authorities is essential to continued integration of the electricity and gas markets in Europe.

CRE is cooperating closely with its European counterparts to create a genuine internal market in energy in the European Union.
 

The Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER)

CRE has been a member of the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER) since its creation in March 2000.
A Belgian-registered non-profit organisation, the CEER brings together the regulators of EU Member States, along with those from Iceland and Norway. It organises training sessions for its members, to improve their capabilities and promote the sharing of experience. It also hosts observers from six regulators in Switzerland, Macedonia, Bosnia, Moldova, Montenegro and Georgia.
CRE is heavily involved in the CEER’s activities. In addition to attending all of the CEER’s General Meetings, CRE has the equivalent of 20 full-time staff devoted to European activities.

• When the CEER was re-organised in 2017, CRE obtained the co/vice chairmanship of two working groups.
  • the Market Integrity and Transparency Working Group (MIT WG), responsible for issues relating to transparency and oversight of the wholesale markets, along with links between sectoral legislation and legislation applicable to the financial markets.  Fadhel Lakhoua, director at CRE, is vice-chairman of this WG;
  • the Gas Working Group (GWG), responsible for issues relating to the trans-European gas transmission networks and the design of the gas market. Benoit Esnault, head of department at CRE, is vice-chairman of this WG.Visit the CEER website

The agency for the cooperation of energy regulators (ACER)

CRE has been a member of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) since it was created by Regulation (EC) N°713/2009 of 13 July 2009.
ACER, which has been up and running since 3 March 2011, helps national regulatory authorities to carry out their European regulatory roles and, if necessary, coordinates or sometimes completes their work. It is notably responsible for ensuring that the European networks of electricity and gas transmission network operators (ENTSO-E and ENTSO-G) abide by the European network codes. It has individual decision-making powers on cross-border issues, such as access and security conditions or exemptions.
The ACER and CEER have several shared working groups (electricity, gas, market integrity) in which CRE participates.

Visit the ACER website

Other activities

CRE takes part in conferences, workshops and training sessions organised by various European bodies, and in particular the Florence School of Regulation.
Visit the Florence School of Regulation website