Event
CEER Secretariat premises, Cours Saint-Michel 30a, 1040 Brussels & online
27.05.2025
10:00 - 16:00

CEER event on Independence in Action – Sharing Lessons Across Borders

About the Event

Independence is a core principle underpinning the credibility and effectiveness of National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs). On 27 May, CEER hosted a full-day hybrid workshop that brought together high-level speakers and institutional representatives from across Europe and beyond to explore the evolution of NRA independence and how it can be safeguarded in practice.

This interactive event examined regulatory frameworks, highlighted real-world experiences, and encouraged participants to reflect on both threats to independence and strategies for reinforcing it.

Event Highlights

The day opened with welcome remarks from the European Commission, followed by a provocative “thought experiment” exploring potential threats to an NRA’s independence. This set the stage for a deep dive into the historical and legal evolution of independence, with key contributions from CEER and the European Commission.

A high-level panel discussion featured representatives from BEREC, the OECD, MEDREG, and the ECRB Secretariat, who shared insights on challenges NRAs face and lessons from broader regulatory and institutional contexts.

In the afternoon, practical case studies were presented by NRA representatives from Sweden, Slovenia, and Belgium. Participants then engaged in an interactive session designed to foster peer exchange, live feedback, and open discussion via Slido.

The event concluded with closing reflections and a forward-looking perspective from CEER.

 

Programme

Programme

10:00 - 10:20

Welcome Address, Opening Remarks

281942
10:20 - 10:40

Thought experiment: How to undermine an NRA’s independence

281945
10:40 - 11:35

The Evolution of Independence

  • The EU legal foundation of NRA independence throughout the decades
  • CEER’s contributions to NRA independence
281948
11:45 - 13:00

Panel discussion: Challenges to NRA independence and experience

  • Latest results from other organisations’ work on independence
  • What are the problems that are encountered there?
  • What can the EU energy sector learn from them?
281953
14:00 - 14:45

Impulse Statement: Case Briefs

281961
15:00 - 15:45

Interactive Session: Empowering Ourselves

  • Presentation of latest draft deliverable
  • Open questions for discussion
  • Examples for individual points from the audience
  • Slido use to capture audience orientation
281968
15:45 - 16:00

Conclusions

Closing Remarks and Outlook

281971