Montenegro’s RAE becomes first Energy Community regulator to join ACER’s working groups

The Montenegro Energy Regulatory Agency (RAE) fulfilled a strict criteria, including compliance with the Third Energy Package and regulatory independence, for the participation of its experts in the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators’ (ACER) working groups as of January 2018.

RAE is the first national regulator from the Energy Community (EnC) Contracting Parties to join the ACER’s working groups.

ACER, a European Union Agency, was created by the Third Energy Package to further progress the completion of the internal electricity and gas market.

“Participation in ACER’s working groups is in general limited to EU regulatory authorities. Admission of third country regulators is exceptionally possible subject to fulfillment of strict criteria, including compliance with the Third Energy Package and regulatory independence. The Agency was supported in the assessment of the implementation of the EU energy acquis in Montenegro by the EnC Secretariat,”, Energy Community said in a statement.

An Administrative Arrangement allowing RAE experts to participate in ACER Working Groups as of January 2018 was signed by Director of the ACER, Alberto Pototschnig, and the President of the RAE, Branislav Prelević, in the presence of EnC Director Janez Kopač.

“I am very pleased that RAE joins the Agency’s working groups as the first national regulator from the Energy Community Contracting Parties,” Pototschnig stated.

Janez Kopač, Director of the Energy Community Secretariat, said that “this event represents the essence of the Energy Community, which is dedicated to bringing together EU and its neighbors which are part of the same internal market. They cannot be really part of the same family if they are not part of the same institutions”.

President Prelević thanked the support of the Energy Community and stressed that “RAE feels honored with this observer chair at ACER”.