International cooperation

The Council is a member of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). ACER was established in 2011 in accordance with one of the documents of the Third Energy Package – 13th of July 2009 Regulation (EC) No. 713/2009, which has been replaced by the Clean Energy Package (CEP), i. e. the Regulation (EU) 2019/942. The purpose of ACER is to assist the regulatory authorities in exercising, at EU level, the regulatory tasks performed in the Member States and, where necessary, to coordinate their action and to mediate and settle disagreements between them. ACER is working to ensure the proper functioning of the single European gas and electricity market. ACER also contributes to the establishment of high-quality common regulatory and supervisory practices, thus contributing to the consistent, efficient and effective application of EU law in order to achieve the EU's climate and energy goals. As an independent European structure which fosters cooperation among European energy regulators, ACER ensures that market integration and the harmonisation of regulatory frameworks are achieved within the framework of the EU's energy policy objectives.

ACER aims to create:
·  A more competitive, integrated market which offers consumers more choice;
·  An efficient energy infrastructure guaranteeing the free movement of energy across borders and the transportation of new energy sources, thus enhancing security of supply for EU businesses and consumers;
·  A monitored and transparent energy market guaranteeing consumers fair, cost-reflective prices and the deterrence of abusive practices.

ACER is thus a central institution in the creation of a Single Energy Market to the benefit of all EU consumers.

One of the most important tasks for ACER is to participate in preparation of the network codes and to monitor the implementation of network codes already approved.

The Council regularly participates in the following working groups of ACER: Electricity, Gas, Retail Working groups, REMIT Committee and forms a position and participates in the decisions of the Board of Regulators.

ACER, in close cooperation with the national regulatory authorities, monitors abuses of wholesale energy markets (this function was undertaken in 2012 in accordance with the Regulation (EU) No. 1227/2011 on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency (REMIT), and ensures the implementation of the provisions of the Regulation (EU) No. 347/2013 on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure.

The Council is a member of the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER). The representatives of the Council are actively participating in the CEER working groups, such as Electricity, Gas, Customers and Retail Markets, Distribution Systems, International Relations Group, Market Integrity and Transparency, as well as Regulatory Benchmarking WorkStream, Ad hoc Covid-19 Group. Representatives of the Council regularly present the positions of the Council and participate in the CEER General Assembly.

According to the new CEER 2022-2025 strategy Empowering Consumers for the Energy Transition CEER priorities and work areas in 2022:

• Energy system integration
• Consumer-centric dynamic regulation
• Well-functioning markets
  
  

The Council is a member of the Energy Regulators Regional Association (ERRA).

The ERRA is an inter-institutional non-profit organisation unified by the shared goal of its regulatory members – from Europe, Asia, Africa, Middle East, North and South America – to improve energy regulation. ERRA fosters and facilitates exchange of data, information and experience among its members, in order to support strengthening and improving regulatory framework around the world and to promote opportunities for capacity building through its training courses, webinars, workshops and networking through the annual Energy Investment and Regulation Conference. ERRA has played a vital role in accelerating energy reform and market development in Europe and Eurasia, and its story, from the establishment to the present day, offers important lessons on how to support progress toward self-reliance in energy regulation.

The ERRA website gives access to all important information on the Association: member regulators, training programs and podcasts, online tariff database, numerous issue papers and analytical documents of the ERRA committees and working group, and other useful resources of international organizations engaged in the energy sector worldwide through the online library. ERRA capacity building activities are open to both regulators and non-regulators.

The staff of the Council are members of the ERRA Electricity Markets and Economic Regulation, Natural Gas Markets and Economic Regulation and Renewable Energy Committees and the Customer Protection Working Group and actively participates in decision making at General Assembly and executive meetings.

The Council regularly updates the data for the ERRA website, prepares information for the ERRA semi-annual newsletter, helps to organize international ERRA seminars, participates in conferences and training courses.

The Council together with other countries regulators participated in establishment of the Water Regulators Network (WAREG) in 2014, which purpose is to cooperate in the exchange of good regulatory practice in the drinking water supply and wastewater management sector. Representatives of the Council participate in the work of the WAREG General Assembly, and the Institutional Water Governance, KPIs and Benchmarking Task Forces as well as in the activities of Task Forces for Investments, Tariffs, Affordability, EU Monitoring.

The Council together with 15 other regulators of the drinking water market established WAREG officially on 5 December 2017. The organization currently has 26 members and 5 regulators as observers.

In July 2018 the representatives of the Council started the participation in activities of the Network of Economic Regulators (NER) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This network is an open and unique global forum that promotes dialogue between the different regulatory institutions, acting in the energy, water, transport and communication sectors. NER members share their experiences, discuss challenges, innovative solutions and priorities for regulators, discuss issues of better governance and independence of the regulators.

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The importance of the regional cooperation is becoming more important while implementing the integration of gas and electricity markets into the European networks. The representatives of the Council actively participate in the Regional Gas Market Coordination Group established under the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan (BEMIP) initiative. The Council also actively participates in the Baltic countries capacity calculation regional working groups responsible for the implementation of network codes and guidelines for the electricity sector at the regional level.