To ensure and speed up the creation of a truly integrated European electricity market, a 3rd legislative Package was adopted in 2009. Its proper implementation will lead to efficient integration of the national electricity markets. It sets a new harmonised European regulatory framework consisting of new institutions for the co-operation of transmission system operators (TSOs) and regulatory authorities and the possibility to adopt legally binding rules for setting fair rules for cross-border exchanges in electricity. Such a framework will facilitate the emergence of a well-functioning and transparent wholesale market with a high level of security of supply in electricity.

System Operation (cf. Article 8 of Regulation EC No 714/2009) is one of the three areas (together with Grid Connection and CACM) where ERGEG will conduct IIA and provide Input for the Framework Guideline during the Interim Period (until March 2011), in order to support the ACER to fast and effectively begin their work on Framework Guidelines and Codes in March 2011.

To guarantee efficient stakeholder involvement and in line with the experiences from the Pilot Project on Grid Connection, ERGEG established an Expert Group on system operation. The goal of this group is to provide expert support to the ERGEG during the development of the Initial Impact Assessment and the Draft Framework Guidelines on System Operation.

In addition to the ERGEG project team work and the Expert Group meetings, it is considered particularly important that a regular exchange of views takes place between representatives of the EC, ERGEG and ENTSO-E, in order to ensure proper scoping, high quality and timely completion of the inputs for the System Operation Framework Guidelines and the Network Codes.