site.btaBulgarian, Romanian Energy Regulators Sign Cooperation Agreement

Bulgarian, Romanian Energy Regulators Sign Cooperation Agreement

Sofia, February 17 (BTA) - The chairpersons of the energy regulators of Bulgaria and Romania signed an agreement on cooperation and exchange of good practices on Wednesday. The Romanian delegation is here on a working visit at the invitation of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC).

Niculae Havrilet, President of Romania's Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), said the agreement would help the harmonized development of the energy market and the safety of energy supplies.

Havrilet commented that the International Energy Agency projects a huge growing demand for electricity until 2025. That is why changes in fuel supply may cause a price spike overnight, which will result in a new emphasis in the energy costs debate.

If the domestic energy market is to become fully integrated, regulators should take into account the European Commission's guidelines and annual priority list of areas to be included in the development of network codes for electricity. Romania and Bulgaria can cooperate in specific areas, such as monitoring or market infrastructure, said Havrilet.

Network codes, the EU-wide rules for effectively managing electricity flows, govern all cross-border electricity market transactions and system operation.

For his part, EWRC Chairman Ivan Ivanov noted that the agreement marked the beginning of cooperation in a different form, which will continue at the level of commissions and experts.

The EU Member States are faced with the major challenge of establishing a European Energy Union. It should start in Southeastern Europe where solidarity is particularly important to the countries, Ivanov said. One of the areas of enhanced energy cooperation recently announced by the European Commission encompasses Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, he recalled. The thrust of the effort will be to create a common energy market both for electricity and for natural gas in those countries.

Construction of the Vertical Gas Corridor linking the gas grids of the three EU Member States is another major project in which the regulators will play an important role, according to Ivanov.