The so-called 8th region includes members of the EU and of the Energy Community. It stretches from Italy to Ukraine and from Hungary to Greece. The objective of the gathering was regional cooperation among TSOs to share best practice and thus to progress on implementation of EU electricity legislation.  

Distinguished speakers included Nick Winser, ENTSO-E president and National Grid Executive Director, Miroslav Mesić, President of the HOPS Management Board, Damjan Medimorec, ENTSO-E Vice-President and Executive Office Director of HOPs, Lahorko Wagmann, Acting Director of Electricity Sector, Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency, Jean-Baptiste Paquel, ENTSO-E Secretariat, and Christophe Gence-Creux from ACER.

 

Pictured, from left to right: Zdeslav Čerina, Member of HOPS Management Board; Nick Winser, ENTSO-E President;__Miroslav Mesić, President of HOPS Management Board

Capacity-building in network code implementation

Capacity building in South East Europe, exposed to manifold challenges from regulation to market, is in the very centre of the ambitious Energy union project.  

The summit demonstrated that the regional approach which is ENTSO-E’s DNA is helping progress on market integration, 3rd Package and network code implementation. This regional approach is one step towards more Europe; not an alternative to it, but an additional supportive dimension.

Nick Winser, President of ENTSO-E and Executive Director of National Grid, the British TSO, said “I am proud of ENTSO-E as a European and at once a Member-led, democratic organisation. Changes are coming at every level for TSOs. Their active participation in the elaboration of these changes at European level is key to their successful implementation. Collaborating is not always easy, but it is the only way forward.”

TSOs leading the way on the Energy union in and outside EU borders

 

 Pictured, from left to right: Zoltan Tihanyi, Mavir; Kamilla Csomai, Mavir; Zoran Marčenko, ELES; Damjan Medimorec, ENTSO-E Vice-President; Miroslav Mesić, President of HOPS Management Board and Nick Winser, ENTSO-E President

Christophe Gence-Creux, Head of the Electricity Department of ACER, highlighted the different gaps which exist in the South East Europe Region. Simon Uzunov, Head of the Electricity section of the Energy Community Secretariat, said that Energy Community members are committed to align their regulations to the 3rd package, but are not subject to firm implementation deadlines. He explained the many challenges faced by the Energy Community to address the remaining gaps, and start implementing the Network Codes. He underlined the necessary pro-active role that TSOs of these countries could play in this process.

Related links:

ENTSO-E Regional Groups ENTSO-E’s initial proposals on the Energy Union

[1] Apart from Ukraine and Albania all TSOs of this region are also part of ENTSO. Albania should become a member by end 2015. https://www.energy-community.org/portal/page/portal/ENC_HOME/AREAS_OF_WORK/Instruments/Electricity/8th_Region