Considerations on COM(2001)125-3 - Conditions for access to the network for cross-border exchanges in electricity - Main contents
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| dossier | COM(2001)125-3 - Conditions for access to the network for cross-border exchanges in electricity. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2001)125  |
| date | June 26, 2003 |
| (2) | At its meeting in Lisbon on 23 and 24 March 2000, the European Council called for rapid work to be undertaken to complete the internal market in both the electricity and gas sectors and to speed up liberalisation in these sectors with a view to achieving a fully operational internal market in these areas. |
| (3) | The creation of a real internal electricity market should be promoted through an intensification of trade in electricity, which is currently underdeveloped compared with other sectors of the economy. |
| (4) | Fair, cost-reflective, transparent and directly applicable rules, taking account of a comparison between efficient network operators from structurally comparable areas and supplementing the provisions of Directive 96/92/EC, should be introduced with regard to cross-border tarification and the allocation of available interconnection capacities, in order to ensure effective access to transmission systems for the purpose of cross-border transactions. |
| (5) | In its Conclusions, the Energy Council of 30 May 2000 invited the Commission, Member States and national regulatory authorities and administrations to ensure timely implementation of congestion management measures and, in liaison with the European Transmission System Operators (ETSO), rapid introduction of a robust tarification system for the longer term which provides the appropriate cost allocation signals to market participants. |
| (6) | The European Parliament, in its Resolution of 6 July 2000 on the Commission's second report on the state of liberalisation of energy markets, called for conditions for using networks in Member States that do not hamper cross-border trade in electricity and called on the Commission to submit specific proposals geared to overcoming all the existing barriers to intra-Community trade. |
| (7) | It is important that third countries that form part of the European electricity system comply with the rules contained in this Regulation and the guidelines adopted under this Regulation in order to increase the effective functioning of the internal market. |
| (8) | This Regulation should lay down basic principles with regard to tarification and capacity allocation, whilst providing for the adoption of guidelines detailing further relevant principles and methodologies, in order to allow rapid adaptation to changed circumstances. |
| (9) | In an open, competitive market, transmission system operators should be compensated for costs incurred as a result of hosting cross-border flows of electricity on their networks by the operators of the transmission systems from which cross-border flows originate and the systems where those flows end. |
| (10) | Payments and receipts resulting from compensation between transmission system operators should be taken into account when setting national network tariffs. |
| (11) | The actual amount payable for cross-border access to the system can vary considerably, depending on the transmission system operators involved and as a result of differences in the structure of the tarification systems applied in Member States. A certain degree of harmonisation is therefore necessary in order to avoid distortions of trade. |
| (12) | A proper system of long term locational signals would be necessary, based on the principle that the level of the network access charges should reflect the balance between generation and consumption of the region concerned, on the basis of a differentiation of the network access charges on producers and/or consumers. |
| (13) | It would not be appropriate to apply distance-related tariffs, or, provided appropriate locational signals are in place, a specific tariff to be paid only by exporters or importers in addition to the general charge for access to the national network. |
| (14) | The precondition for effective competition in the internal market is non-discriminatory and transparent charges for network use including interconnecting lines in the transmission system. The available capacities of these lines should be set at the maximum levels consistent with the safety standards of secure network operation. |
| (15) | It is important to avoid distortion of competition resulting from different safety, operational and planning standards used by transmission system operators in Member States. Moreover, there should be transparency for market participants concerning available transfer capacities and the security, planning and operational standards that affect the available transfer capacities. |
| (16) | There should be rules on the use of revenues flowing from congestion-management procedures, unless the specific nature of the interconnector concerned justifies an exemption from these rules. |
| (17) | It should be possible to deal with congestion problems in various ways as long as the methods used provide correct economic signals to transmission system operators and market participants and are based on market mechanisms. |
| (18) | To ensure the smooth functioning of the internal market, provision should be made for procedures which allow the adoption of decisions and guidelines with regard to amongst other things tarification and capacity allocation by the Commission whilst ensuring the involvement of Member States' regulatory authorities in this process where appropriate through their European association. Regulatory authorities, together with other relevant authorities in the Member States, have an important role to play in contributing to the proper functioning of the internal electricity market. |
| (19) | The Member States and the competent national authorities should be required to provide relevant information to the Commission. Such information should be treated confidentially by the Commission. Where necessary, the Commission should have an opportunity to request relevant information directly from undertakings concerned, provided that the competent national authorities are informed. |
| (20) | National regulatory authorities should ensure compliance with the rules contained in this Regulation and the guidelines adopted on the basis of this Regulation. |
| (21) | Member States should lay down rules on penalties applicable to infringements of the provisions of this Regulation and ensure that they are implemented. Those penalties must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. |
| (22) | Since the objective of the proposed action, namely the provision of a harmonised framework for cross-border exchanges of electricity, cannot be achieved by the Member States and can therefore, by reason of the scale and effect of the action, be better achieved at Community level, the Community may adopt measures in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve this objective. |
| (23) | The measures necessary for the implementation of this Regulation should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (5), |