With Bulgarian Minister for Energy Temenuzhka Petkova chairing the meeting, EU Member States today agreed on an updated role for ACER, the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, so as to enable a better collaboration between national electricity and gas regulators.

Commenting on today’s success, Ms Petkova said:

"The Council of the EU, part “Energy”, agreed on a text for a general approach on the proposal for a revision of the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of an EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators. The proposal to revise the ACER Regulation is the last legal act of Clean Energy for All Europeans Package, on which the Council has finally reached a general approach. ACER plays an important role in facilitating cooperation between national energy regulators. After intense negotiations, the agreement reached today is balanced, and offers us an excellent basis on which to begin talks with the European Parliament."

At today's Council meeting all EU Member States agreed that the existing legislative framework of ACER needs to be adapted in order to redefine the way the Agency functions, its role and remit. This adaptation would cover the tasks of its director and the board of regulators, which consists of senior representatives of the Member States' national regulatory authorities. However, new regulatory tasks and competences shall only be granted to the Agency if there is adequate involvement of the Member States.

This general approach on ACER enables the Council to start negotiations with the European Parliament, which adopted its position on the Regulation on 1 March 2018. Negotiations are expected to start under the Austrian presidency.

Furthermore, the Bulgarian Presidency today updated Member States on the progress made in the negotiations with the European Parliament on three pieces of legislation from the Clean Energy package – a set of rules that seek to keep the European Union competitive as the clean energy transition changes global energy markets. Since February, the Bulgarian Presidency has conducted eleven rounds of negotiations with the European Parliament on the proposed rules on Governance of the Energy Union, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. The negotiations on the three files are in their final stage.

At the end of the meeting, Temenuzhka Petkova gave a press conference, in which EU Commissioner for Energy and Climate, Miguel Arias-Cañete also took part.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!