January 2018

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Editorial                                        

Consumers remain front and centre of CEER’s work for the year ahead (see the CEER 2018 Work Programme featured below).  This consumer focus is evidenced too in our latest publication on investment conditions in European countries. Given that it is ultimately energy customers who pay for grid investments, CEER believes it is important to make clear how capital costs are calculated. Hence, this CEER Report on Investment Conditions explains how network operators in each country are remunerated for network infrastructure investments, with a major focus on the calculating an adequate rate of return on the investment.

Speaking of investments, the new year is always a good time to invest in your own professional development. Choose from a great range (14) of CEER training courses and don’t miss the World Forum in Mexico (March).  

Consumers at the crux of CEER’s 2018 Work Programme

CEER’s 2018 work programme places consumers as a top priority.
Why does the European association of energy regulators (CEER) champion consumers’ interests in its annual Work Programme? A core task of our members – the national regulators – is to empower and protect energy consumers. Hence, consumers are always central to our work at national and European level.
CEER’s consumer-centric focus is a core feature of its work in support of the European institutions and complements the work of the Agency of the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) on wholesale market and cross-border issues.
CEER 2018 work programme priorities
CEER will focus on a number of key areas in 2018 which are important to advancing energy markets and improving the effectiveness of their operation to the benefit of European energy consumers. CEER will continue to prioritise work in the areas of:
CEER continues to prioritise work in the areas of:
•   Consumers and retail markets;
•   New legislative/policy developments;
•    Distribution systems; and
•   International work beyond the borders of the EU

Consumers and retail markets
Consumer and retail markets are still top priority in 2018, but with a new emphasis on addressing the challenges of emerging structures such as prosumers and local energy communities (e.g. the right to choose supplier, issues of fairness and the implications of potentially many people going off-grid etc.).

Our 2018 work re-affirms our commitment to well-functioning retail markets, to protecting consumers’ rights and promoting consumer engagement in energy markets.  In 2018, we will develop case studies on implementation of the consumer empowerment measures of the Clean Energy proposals (e.g. on technologies that benefit consumers).
Through CEER’s Partnership for the Enforcement of European Rights (PEER) initiative, we aim to enhance collaboration among regulators from different sectors to ensure consumers rights are adequately protected (e.g. when buying bundled products where traditional jurisdictions are blurred).  In 2018, we will continue to develop PEER by reaching out to Consumer Protection Authorities, Data Protection Authorities and others so that consumer rights and protections remain fit for purpose as markets evolve.  
As usual, we will monitor energy markets and co-operate with ACER on the production of the annual Market Monitoring Report.

New legislative/policy developments
We remain committed to working with and advising the European Commission on regulatory aspects across a wide range of areas including wholesale, retail and consumers. We seek to ensure that the interests of consumers are at their centre of the development and implementation of Clean Energy for all Europeans package of measures. This will include follow up on issues in the Clean Energy Regulatory White Papers that we developed in 2017.

Distribution systems
Distribution systems (gas and electricity) will remain a priority for 2018. We will work on flexibility, the changing role and regulation of the Distribution System Operator (DSO), distribution tariffs, cyber security and on the quality of energy supply.

International relations
Our international activities are focused on where CEER can add value beyond that which can be achieved through the efforts of individual regulators. We remain committed to holding a constructive dialogue with international partners, particularly near neighbours, and supporting the European Commission in relation to the external priorities outlined in the Energy Union. We will encourage regulators in those countries that interact with Europe’s energy markets to adopt good regulatory practices principally grounded on the European Union’s approach.

Best practice regulation
As the EU association of regulators, CEER plays an important role in the development and sharing of regulatory best practice, to help national regulators in the process of continuous improvement. CEER is a platform for national regulators to share experiences on new innovative solutions worldwide and experiences on the implementation of EU law into national legislation. CEER identifies and works on future challenges for the development of the Internal Energy Market. CEER does this through wide and various cooperation among regulators, including through training courses, the exchange of experience on technical issues through case studies and workshops, and international collaboration with other regulatory bodies outside of Europe.
What’s next?
Wide stakeholder engagement remains crucial to our work. Once again, we have planned a host of free public events and consultations (see our online rolling calendars of events and consultations). In parallel to this work programme, we are developing CEER’s (three-year) strategy which will shape the annual work programme for 2019 and beyond.

Publications

-    CEER Work Programme 2018
-    CEER Evaluation of Responses to the Stakeholder comments on the draft CEER Work Programme 2018
-    CEER Report on Investment Conditions in European Countries, 11 Jan 2018

International

Register now for the World Forum on Energy Regulation, Cancun, Mexico
Mr Bertrand Piccard (Chairman, and co-pilot of Solar Impulse, the first successful round-the-world solar powered flight) is confirmed as a keynote speaker.

Contact

Una.Shortall@ceer.eu

Tel: +322 788 7330 or
+ 32 484 668 599