What is the purpose of the ECRB?
The Energy Community Regulatory Board
shall discharge the tasks entrusted to it by Article 58 of the Energy Community Treaty.
at the request of the European Commission, or on its own initiative and in accordance with the objectives of the Energy Community Treaty, shall undertake the function of advising on statutory, technical and regulatory rules in the region to the Energy Community Treaty Institutions.
shall provide advice to the Ministerial Council and the PHLG with regard to monitoring and assessing the operation of the energy networks and network energy market and issue recommendations to the Parties when so entrusted by the Treaty or the Ministerial Council.
shall facilitate consultation, co-operation and co-ordination amongst regulatory authorities to a consistent application of the acquis communautaire. The ECRB makes recommendations and reports with respect to the functioning of the energy markets.
may determine the existence of a serious and persistent breach and bring it to the attention of the Ministerial Council.
Who are the members of the ECRB?
On 1 May 2010, Moldova became the eight full-fledged member of the Energy Community. ECRB comprises high level representatives from the following energy regulatory authorities of the eight Signatory Parties:
Energy Regulatory Authority of Albania (ERE)
State Electricity Regulatory Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SERC)
Energy Regulatory Agency of Croatia (HERA)
Energy Regulatory Commission of the formers Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (ERC)
National Energy Regulatory Agency of Moldova (ANRE)
Energy Regulatory Agency of Montenegro (REGAGEN)
Energy Regulatory Agency of the Republic of Serbia (AERS)
Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
and one representative of the European Commission.
Who are the Participants of the ECRB and what distinguishes them from the Members?
The ECRB is also attended by twelve energy regulatory authorities of the so called Participants. These are currently: E-Control (Austria), SEWRC (Bulgaria), ERU (Czech Republic), CERA (Cyprus), CRE (France), BNetzA (Germany), RAE (Greece), HEO (Hungary), AEEG (Italy), ANRE and ANRGN (Romania), RONI (Slovakia), AGEN-RS (Slovenia) and OFGEM (UK). Participants have the rigth to participate in the discussions, however have no voting rights.
Who are the Observers to the ECRB?
The ECRB allows Observers to its meetings. Current observership are attributed to the following energy regulatory authorities: GNERC (Georgia), NVE (Norway), EMRA (Turkey) and NERC (Ukraine). Observers do generally not take part in the discussions.
How is ECRB organizing its work?
ECRB organizes its work in three working groups (WGs): Electricity working group (EWG), Gas working group (GWG) and Customer working group (CWG). A fourth group denominated South East Europe Coordinated Auction Office Implementation Group (SEE CAO IG) was created with the purpose of bringing forward the project of creating a Coordinated Auction Office and comprises both Regulators and Transmission System Operators.
Which are the main topics of the ECRB Work Programme?
Electricity: Monitoring, Congestion management and transmission capacity allocation, Regional Balancing Mechanisms, Compatible market rules, wholesale market opening, mutual recognition of trading licenses, cross border cooperation, coordinated auction office, projects of regional dimension;
Gas: Cross border gas trade, interconnection and interoperability of transmission and transit pipelines, balancing and flexibility tools including storage and LNG facilities, cross border cooperation, transmission tariffs, regulatory maesures for realization of the Gas Ring, compliance monitoring, cross border transmission tariffication, gas market models;
Customers: Protection of vulnerable household customers, quality of supply and commercial services, standards and incentives, tariffication methodologies and transparency of prices, quality of electricity service and smart metering, electricity tariffs, gas distribution tariffs ans quality of supply, billing;
Coordinated Auction Office (CAO): an Implementation Group (IG) provides the platform for regulators, network operators and users to coordinate the establishment of a CAO- for more information about the CAO please click on the follwing link:
"SEE CAO - Project information, milestones, status quo"
The ECRB Workprogramme provides detailed information on the activities of the ECRB and its Working Groups
What is the ECRB section of the Energy Community Secretariat?
Being a part of the Energy Community Secretariat in Vienna, the ECRB section manages the ECRB activities by coordinating and contributing to its work in a proactive way.
