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CEER January 2022 Newsletter 

 
 
It is nearly February, but the CEER wishes everyone all the best for the remaining months of 2022. We publish this newsletter late in the month as CEER has already been hard at work publishing not only our 2022 Work Programme,  but also a response to the European Commission’s consultation on the Action Plan for digitalising the energy sector, a look-back at CEER positions of the second half of 2021 and CEER’s essential reference to regulatory frameworks in Europe. Various events are planned as well, and we hope to see you online, if not in person, in the coming months.
 
Feature
The view from the Customers and Retail Markets Working Group

Throughout the whole year of 2021, CEER’s Customers and Retail Markets Working Group has been committed to discussing the role of consumers in the energy transition in a holistic way. 

In October, the 
EU Sustainable Energy Week event focused on “A Consumer-Centric Energy Transition: Ensuring Inclusiveness” by providing a platform for consumers to closely engage with the new goals proposed in the Fit for 55 Package launched by the European Commission. The session incorporated a case-study approach featuring three different types of consumers, aiming to identify how their different goals and needs can be addressed in the current policy framework. Moreover, the Customers and Retail Markets Group led the discussions on consumer engagement on the 13th Citizen’s Energy Forum on 8 and 9 December and the preceding roundtable discussions. 

Consumers have a central role to play in reaching the EU’s climate goals by engaging with the energy market, the emerging green offers and new business models. Informing consumers about their rights, educating consumers on energy consumption and energy efficiency, and providing an adequate support and incentive scheme for sustainable choices, are crucial to ensure that no one is left behind. Understanding the consumer’s behavior can help design an adequate and inclusive policy framework that allows a growing base of sustainably conscious consumers to feel empowered in the energy transition. Furthermore, the green and digital transition must necessarily rest on the principles of fairness, affordability and clear information that takes into account a diverse body of consumers, with different needs and aspirations. Regulators and decision makers must ensure a trustworthy green offer system, based on Guarantees of Origin, comparison tools and other verified mechanisms.

Finally, protecting vulnerable consumers and mitigating energy poverty becomes increasingly important in the context of high energy prices and a fast-paced energy market. In 2022, the Customers and Retail Markets Group will continue focusing on discussing these issues in its activities and the 
CEER Customer Conference taking place on 23 March 2022. 
Jana Haasová & Natalie McCoy, Customers and Retail Markets Working Group Co-Chairs
 
Publications
  • 31 JanuaryReport on Regulatory Frameworks for European Energy Networks 2021 – this report This report analyses different regulatory systems of electricity and gas networks (at the TSO and DSO level) in most EU Member States, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Iceland and Norway. Moreover, this year, the report includes information on eight Energy Community Regulatory Board (ECRB) countries, all but one also being CEER Observers. Robust regulatory frameworks are essential for the development of energy markets. They promote confidence in market mechanisms and are central in ensuring a level-playing field with sound investment signals for the sector. In most regulatory regimes, the revenue the network operator is allowed to earn is determined by the National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) based on the network operators’ cost and structural situation. The report provides a general overview of the regulatory practices in place, the calculation of a rate of return, the determination of the regulatory asset base (RAB) and the depreciation of assets in the different regulatory systems.
  • 28 January: What Regulators Stood for in the Second Half of 2021 – This paper reviews our work delivered during this period of time and brings out the main messages published. This paper also extracts out what CEER considers to be some of the most important messages of the second half of the year. This gives the reader a snapshot of where energy regulators’ priorities and focus were and points to key trends that emerged in the second half of 2021. The aim is to provide an overview of our work but also to spark your interest to look into some reports more closely.
  • 19 JanuaryCEER Response to the European Commission’s consultation on the Action Plan for digitalising the energy sector – Here, CEER gives its views on section II. Individuals and consumers in the digitalisation of the energy system and on section III. Tackling specific facets of digitalisation of the energy system.
  • 14 January: CEER Work Programme 2022 – In 2022, CEER enters into work driven by its Strategy “Empowering Consumers for the Energy Transition”, effective from 2022 until 2025. Work items correspond to one or more of the six core areas of the Strategy. This year's Work Programme comprises 25 work items, which consists of seven activities (such as webinars, workshops or conferences), and 18 written deliverables (reports).
 
Events
CEER CUSTOMER CONFERENCE 2022 will be held in a hybrid format (Brussels and online) on 23 March! The theme of this year’s Customer Conference is Survival 101! The energy price spikes and the Green Transition – Empowering consumers.

The registration for this event will open soon. More information will follow shortly. 
 
Public Consultations
CEER is seeking feedback on the ongoing update of its guidelines of good practice on comparison tools. The purpose of the consultation paper is to present a preliminary review of the Guidelines of Good Practices (GGP) on Price Comparison Tools initially published by CEER in July 2012 and updated in 2017. In this public consultation, CEER presents its 20 updated/new recommendations. The updates and additions take into account the adoption and entry into force of the recast Electricity Directive 2019/944, which includes specific provisions regarding comparison tools, as well as the continuing technological and market evolution of the energy sector.  

The consultation is open until 17 February 2022. More information can be found 
here.
 
International
EU4Energy

The EU4Energy programme has successfully completed the year of 2021. The project managed to draw up status-qua reports and compile recommendations for improvement, responded to emerging needs/requirements of beneficiaries, organized workshops, trainings and roundtables in compliance with the beneficiaries’ interest, hosted multiple communication and visibility activities ranging from the kick-off conference to Autumn Digital EU4Energy Week for Eastern Partnership Universities.

The year ahead also seems to be promising as the project has already started to develop country action plans for the year of 2022 in close cooperation with beneficiary institutions in order to best serve their needs and guide them in the process of approximation to the EU legislation and best practices.
 
CEER Training Academy
Mark your calendars!
CLICK HERE to discover our training programme with a wide variety of courses that deliver job-related skills for staff of regulatory authorities across all levels, from introductory to advanced.

Our courses are designed and led by regulators for regulators, and our course programme focuses on current challenges that energy regulators are facing, covering latest developments and new frameworks in the energy sector. That being said, two 2022 courses are open to the public:


Training on Regulation of Energy Communities and New Business Models in the Energy Sector 
Hybrid, 27-29 September 2022

CEER-EFET Training on European Wholesale Electricity and Gas Market Trading
Hybrid     30 November - 1 December 2022
 
CEER is seeking a Working Group Coordinator for its Brussels-based Secretariat. Find more information about the role and application process here.
 

Contact:

brussels@ceer.eu | Tel: +32 2 788 73 30 | www.ceer.eu

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