| Press Release 19-09 Energy regulators call for a greater consumer focus in implementing the Clean Energy for All Europeans Package “Consumers at the heart of implementing the Clean Energy Package framework” was the focus of the 2019 Customer Conference of the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER)1. MEP Maria da Graça Carvalho opened the conference, underlining the importance of putting the consumer at the heart of Europe's upcoming Green Deal and digitalisation policies and of continuing the efforts of energy regulators and their PEER initiative of cross-authority, cross-sector dialogue to better protect consumers. A key discussion point was how best to implement the Clean Energy Package in practice, with a focus on empowering and engaging all consumers to become fully-fledged market players. The transition towards a decarbonised energy system is changing consumer behaviour and should increase the uptake of active demand solutions and services, including collectively. This conference brought together a wide variety of stakeholders, including representatives of companies providing innovative solutions such as virtual power plants and markets for guarantees of origin that should be further enabled by future-proofed legislation and regulation. According to CEER Vice-President, Anne Vadasz Nilsson:
“Putting consumers at the heart of the Energy Union is fundamental to the success of Europe’s Internal Energy Market. This is why CEER pushes strongly for well-functioning retail markets, competition, and future-proof regulation that removes market barriers and empowers consumers. Continuous monitoring of our markets, in particular retail markets, prices and consumer rights measures, is a key tool to understanding what measures may be needed to ensure we deliver positive results for consumers.” CEER’s recent work related to the Clean Energy Package implementation include: 1. CEER Report “Regulatory Aspects of Self-Consumption and Energy Communities”2 which seeks to analyse the regulatory implications for consumers and regulation of Citizen Energy Communities (CECs) and Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) in the Clean Energy Package.
2. CEER Report “Implementing Technology that Benefits Consumers in the Clean Energy for All Europeans Package”3 which presents case studies from several Member States on selected topics, including smart meter roll-outs, dynamic price contracts, data exchange and interoperability.
3. CEER Report “Implementing Consumer rights of the Clean Energy for All Europeans Package”4 which describes some national solutions already in place regarding consumer empowerment issues such as pre-contractual Information, energy contracts, billing and switching. CEER hopes that this series of reports will contribute to a heightened awareness and understanding of the new provisions adopted in the Clean Energy Package with a view to facilitating a deeper consumer-focus in the practical implementation of the legislation. What’s next?
Consumer protection and competitive retail markets will continue to be a major focus of CEER’s work to facilitate consumer empowerment and engagement. Very recent and upcoming work includes: • Progress toward achieving well-functioning retail energy markets in 2025 (Roadmap to 2025 for Well-Functioning Retail Energy Markets – new Status Review published on 30 October).
• New developments and trends on consumer empowerment and protection in European energy markets (joint ACER/CEER Annual Market Monitoring Report).
• Monitoring of retail markets based on CEER National Indicators (Retail Market Monitoring report).
• Dynamic price implementation (Recommendations).
• Bundled products in the framework of CEER's PEER initiative (CEER Guide on Bundled Products)
• Review and reinforcement of the CEER-BEUC 2020 Vision for Europe’s energy customers Brussels, 5 November 2019 Ends - see Notes for Editors | 
