ACER Confirms Commitment to Cooperation with ENTSOG-Commission, Shows Leadership

ACER presented an implementation plan, including the methods to calculate the metrics of each wholesale market and the self-evaluation process of National regulatory authorities. 

‘Progress of the regional market integration pilot projects was also presented. Stakeholders welcomed the concrete examples, and discussed in particular the number of liquid hubs eventually needed in an integrated European gas market’ reads a note released by ACER on Wednesday, referring to its participation to The Madrid Forum, which took place on Monday and Tuesday.

ACER reiterated the importance of cooperation between different stakeholders and entities, saying it wants to continue its dialogue with ENTSOG and the Commission.

‘ACER is convinced that the cost allocation methodologies are at the heart of the Network Code. This topic should be tackled now and not be postponed to a later point in time. Improvements to the submitted Network Code, in line with ACER's Reasoned Opinion, should be made in particular regarding limiting options in the outlined methodologies foreseen in the ENTSOG draft Network Code.’ 

Also on Thursday, European Commissioner for Energy and Climate Change Arias Cañete remarked the importance of adopting common market rules, celebrating the increasing convergence toward the adoption of network codes. He also stressed the importance of investments in infrastructures.  

“Gas projects, which account for 107 out of the 248 PCIs currently identified, will benefit significantly from the grants available. I would also recall that PCI status has a number of additional advantages such as priority for authorisation procedures, which are sometimes the biggest obstacles in practice” he said during the Gas Infrastructure Europe 13th Annual Conference.  

Last month, ACER called on ENTSOG to amend the Network Code on Harmonised Transmission Tariff Structures for Gas, and further align it with the Framework Guidelines. ACER wrote down the seven points to take into consideration for additional work, showing signs of leadership which could lead to a stronger role soon.