Stakeholders give their views on Energy Community’s future

The results of the public consultation which gathered stakeholders’ views on options for the implementation of proposals made by the High Level Reflection Group in its report ‘An Energy Community for the Future’ were published in mid-March, the Energy Community said.

A total of 61 submissions were received from a wide mix of stakeholders, including central government authorities of the Energy Community Contracting Parties and EU member states, regulatory authorities and their regional associations, international financial institutions, economic operators and their associations, EU bodies, members of the European Parliament, NGOs and civil society individuals as well as academics.

A clear majority of respondents supported additional environmental legislation and investment enhancing measures. In addition, EU rules on public procurement and value-added tax should become legally binding in the Energy Community. Competition law enforcement should be made more operational, the report said.

The majority of stakeholders also shared the view that the current law enforcement regime should be fundamentally changed as it cannot adequately deter the contracting parties from violating Energy Community law. Moreover, EU funding should be conditional on implementation of Energy Community law. At the same time, the secretariat’s capacities should be strengthened, the participants said.

The Energy Community should also engage with a wider range of stakeholders, including via a consumer platform and a parliamentary assembly, the report said.

SUMMARY OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION RESPONSES