The 13th Energy Community Ministerial Council took place today in Tirana under the Albanian Presidency in office of the Energy Community. EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete, representing the European Union at the meeting, said: “The Energy Community is the most efficient instrument in ensuring effective implementation of the EU’s energy, environment and competition acquis in the European Union’s neighbourhood. Today’s Ministerial Council once again took key steps to achieve closer integration of the EU and Energy Community energy markets in a sustainable way. Today’s adoption of a 20% energy efficiency target puts the Contracting Parties on par with EU Member States. Moreover, the adoption of the TEN-E regulation lays down the foundations for a truly pan-European energy infrastructure system.”
Albanian Energy Minister Damian Gjiknuri said: “I am delighted that Albania was able to deliver on its Presidency priorities in terms of adoption of new laws and the implementation of the Third Package, building the new pan-European Energy Union. Today we have also adopted concrete reforms and a roadmap for the future in line with the recommendations of Jerzy Buzek’s High Level Reflection Group. The Energy Community needs reform in order to tap its full potential, and I am very satisfied that this process has begun.”
Directive 2012/27/EU on Energy Efficiency adopted today by the Ministerial Council will establish a common framework of measures for the promotion of energy efficiency within the Energy Community, setting a 20% energy efficiency target in the Energy Community by 2020 and paving the way for further energy efficiency improvements beyond that date. As in the EU, the Directive will require the Contracting Parties to adopt energy savings obligation schemes for energy distribution and retail companies, promote efficiency in heating and cooling and co-generation and apply yearly targets for the renovation of central government buildings. Ministers also adopted Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 on Guidelines for Trans-European Energy Infrastructure. The Regulation will establish a comprehensive regulatory and legal framework for streamlining the permitting, regulatory and cost-allocation procedures for Projects of Energy Community Interest (PECIs), thus helping to improve the investment climate in the Energy Community. The PECIs will formally become eligible for funding under the EU’s Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance and the Neighbourhood Investment Facility.
Ministers adopted decisions to implement some of the proposals of the report “An Energy Community for the Future” of the High Level Reflection Group. To reinforce the implementation and enforcement of Energy Community law, Ministers adopted a Procedural Act strengthening the existing dispute settlement procedure. They also took decisions to strengthen engagement with Members of Parliament via the establishment of an Energy Community Parliamentary Plenum and with civil society organisations. In addition, they adopted a Roadmap on reform of the Energy Community, setting out the reform priorities for the following year. One of these measures is the adoption of a Joint Act on Security of Supply for 28 EU Member States and Energy Community Contracting Parties in 2016, which will contribute to a functioning regulatory framework between the Contracting Parties and EU Member States in the area of security of gas supply to prevent supply disruptions.
For the first time, the Ministerial Council adopted measures against Bosnia and Herzegovia for failure to adopt the Second Energy Package in the gas sector. The sanctions will be applicable for a period of one year.
The Ministerial Council extended the term of office of Mr Janez Kopac as Director of the Energy Community Secretariat for a period of three years as from 1 December 2015.