This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Internal market in electricity
Internal market in electricity
Internal market in electricity
This summary has been archived and will not be updated. See
'Internal market in electricity (from 2021)'
for an updated information about the subject.
Internal market in electricity
SUMMARY OF:
Directive 2009/72/EC – rules for the EU’s electricity market
SUMMARY
WHAT DOES THE DIRECTIVE DO?
KEY POINTS
Rules for the organisation of the sector
The rules for the organisation of the sector are aimed at developing a competitive, secure and environmentally sustainable market in electricity.
EU countries may impose on undertakings operating in the electricity sector public service obligations which cover issues of security and security of supply, regularity and quality of service, price, environmental protection and energy efficiency.
EU countries have to ensure that all customers have the right to choose their electricity supplier and to change supplier easily, with the operator’s assistance, within 3 weeks. They also have to ensure that customers receive relevant consumption data.
Electricity suppliers are obliged to inform final customers about:
EU countries must put in place an independent mechanism (energy ombudsman or consumer body) to manage complaints or disputes efficiently.
EU countries are also obliged to ensure the monitoring of security of supply. They have to define technical safety criteria to ensure the integration of their national markets at one or more regional levels. In addition, the national regulatory authorities are to cooperate with the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators to guarantee the compatibility of regulatory frameworks between regions.
Generation
EU countries must define criteria for the construction of generating capacity in their territory taking account of aspects such as:
Transmission system operation
From 3 March 2012, EU countries had to unbundle transmission systems and transmission system operators.
An undertaking must first be certified before being officially designated as a transmission system operator. A list of transmission system operators designated by EU countries has to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Transmission system operators are mainly responsible for:
Distribution network operation
EU countries must designate distribution system operators or require undertakings that own or are responsible for distribution systems to do so.
Distribution system operators are mainly responsible for:
EU countries have the option of putting in place a closed distribution system to distribute electricity within a geographically confined industrial, commercial or shared services site.
Unbundling and transparency of accounts
EU countries and the competent authorities have right of access to the accounts of electricity undertakings but shall preserve the confidentiality of certain information.
Electricity undertakings have to keep separate accounts for their transmission and distribution activities.
Organisation of access to the system
EU countries must organise a system of third party access to transmission and distribution systems. The tariffs based on that system shall be published.
EU countries must also lay down criteria for the granting of authorisations to construct direct lines in their territory, on an objective and non-discriminatory basis.
National regulatory authorities
EU countries must designate a regulatory authority at national level. It shall be independent and exercise its powers impartially. It is mainly responsible for:
Retail markets
Contractual arrangements, commitment to customers, data exchange and settlement rules, data ownership and metering responsibility must be defined.
Non-household customers may contract simultaneously with several suppliers.
Derogatory measures
An EU country may take the necessary safeguard measures in the event of a sudden crisis in the market or where the safety of persons is threatened. Derogations may also be obtained in the event of operating problems in isolated systems.
Directive 2009/72/EC repealed Directive 2003/54/EC with effect from 3 March 2011.
Smart metering - progress to date
In 2012, the European Commission adopted Recommendation 2012/148/EU. This set out detailed recommendations regarding:
In accordance with Directive 2009/72/EC, EU countries reported to the Commission in 2012 on the results of their cost-benefit analyses regarding the roll-out of smart metering systems. The results of this benchmarking exercise were published in a Commission report in 2014.
FROM WHEN DOES THE DIRECTIVE APPLY?
It applies from 3 September 2009. EU countries had to incorporate it into national law by 3 March 2011.
BACKGROUND
For more information, see Market legislation on the European Commission's website
ACT
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 (OJ L 211, 14.8.2009, pp. 55–93)
RELATED ACTS
Commission Recommendation 2012/148/EU of 9 March 2012 on preparations for the roll-out of smart metering systems (OJ L 73, 13.3.2012, pp. 9-22)
Report from the Commission: Benchmarking smart metering deployment in the EU-27 with a focus on electricity (COM(2014) 356 final of 17.6.2014)
last update 08.05.2016