Energy Community - Achievements

Achievements

In October 2011, the Energy Community Secretariat celebrated its 5th anniversary in Vienna, Austria. In its press release, the European Commission stated that "Contracting Parties have been successful in creating a stable regulatory framework and aligning their rules to the European Union standards." In addition to the legislative alignment, also the political dimension of the process is decisive. Reflecting the legal and political objectives of the treaty, the key achievements of the Energy Community include:

• Regional cooperation project - establishment of a Coordinated Auction Office Project Team Company by ten South East European electricity network operators (TSOs of Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR of Macedonia, Greece, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Kosovo and Turkey) in Podgorica, Montenegro in June 2012.
• A new geographical scope — on the ground of the original area of operation in the Western Balkans, the accession of Moldova (April 2010) and Ukraine (February 2011) granted the Energy Community a new geographical definition.
• Continuous steps towards treaty implementation — the Secretariat has helped the Contracting Parties to draft numerous EU compliable pieces of national law, both primary and secondary legislation.
• Keeping abreast with the EU developments — extension of the treaty acquis to include core EU legislation on security of supply (2007), energy efficiency (2009) and 3rd energy internal market package (2011)

In March 2011, the European Commission published its 1st assessment report on the Energy Community. According to the Commission, "after four years of existence, the Energy Community has grown into a mature organisation, which provides a solid institutional framework for cooperation, mutual support and exchange of experiences and therefore serves as a model for regional cooperation on energy matters." Regarding the Energy Community in the context of external dimension of the EU energy policy, the Council of the European Union set the following priorities in November 2011:

• encouraging full and timely implementation and enforcement of the acquis, as well as the removal of technical barriers, aiming at the creation of an Energy Community-wide energy market;
• extending the Energy Community Treaty beyond the year 2016;
• undertaking actions with the view of enlarging the Energy Community Treaty to neighbouring countries provided that they demonstrate both willingness and ability to implement and enforce relevant EU legislation;
• continuing cooperation with Turkey, aiming at integration of the country into the Energy Community;
• continuing the analysis of the functioning of the Energy Community Treaty as well as establishing an operational roadmap allowing the accelerated modernisation of energy sectors in Energy Community contracting parties, further enhancement of the Energy Community integration with the EU as well as adapting the decision-making and organisational structures of the Energy Community to future challenges.