Recommendation 2012/148 - 2012/148/EU: Commission Recommendation of 9 March 2012 on preparations for the roll-out of smart metering systems - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 73/9

Smart grids mark a new development on the path towards greater consumer empowerment, greater integration of renewable energy sources into the grid and higher energy efficiency and make a considerable contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to job creation and technological development in the Union.

In accordance with Directive 2009/72/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity and repealing Directive 2003/54/EC (1) and Directive 2009/73/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas and repealing Directive 2003/55/EC (2), Member States are required to ensure the implementation of smart metering systems that assist the active participation of consumers in the electricity supply and gas supply markets and implementation of those metering systems may be subject to an economic assessment of all the long-term costs and benefits to the market and the individual consumer or which form of smart metering is economically reasonable and cost-effective and which timeframe is feasible for their deployment.

The Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 12 April 2011 on ‘Smart grids: from innovation to deployment’ (3) announces a number of measures, including monitoring Member States’ progress, establishing guidelines on key performance indicators and guidelines to define a methodology for the Member States’ plans for implementation of smart metering systems, along with cost-benefit analyses.

The Digital Agenda for Europe lists a set of appropriate measures, in particular on data protection in the Union, on network and information security, on cyber attacks and on functionalities for smart grids and metering. Member States, in collaboration with industry, the Commission and other stakeholders, should take appropriate measures to ensure a coherent approach.

One of the key tasks and preconditions for using smart metering systems is to find appropriate technical and legal solutions which safeguard protection of personal data as a fundamental right under Article 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and Article 16 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Member States and stakeholders should ensure, especially in the initial phase of the roll-out of smart meters, that smart metering system applications are monitored and that fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals are respected.

Smart metering systems allow processing of data, including predominantly personal data. Moreover, the deployment of smart grids and smart metering systems should allow suppliers and network operators to evolve from a broad view of energy behaviour to detailed information on the energy behaviour of individual end-consumers.

The rights and obligations provided for by Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (4) and by Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector (Directive on privacy...