Brussels, 29/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - The gas committee, a committee made up of member state experts and chaired by the European Commission, meeting on Thursday 29 April, agreed new requirements to ensure transparency on gas networks. Information gas flows and available capacities is needed, not only to make best use of the existing infrastructure and guarantee all operators non- discriminatory access to networks, but also to ensure good management in times of supply emergencies. After consultation with the European Parliament, the new rules will come into force on 3 March 2011.
Improving transparency is a key point in EU policy on liberalising markets and security of supply. Implementation of the 3rd legislative package on liberalising the internal energy market is expected to bring major improvements in terms of transparency with regard to network use, and gas and LNG storage, the Commission says in a press release. The provisions on transparency for gas networks are set out in the Annex of regulation715/2009/EC on conditions for access to the natural gas transmission networks and repealing regulation 1775/2005/EC. The main improvements are: - information on available and used network capacity will be provided to all network users faster and in greater detail so that all gas suppliers will know how to transport gas most efficiently, cheaply and quickly to the consumer; - the format for publication of the information will be standardised throughout the EU so that information is comparable across different networks; - increased information will be published on how to calculate tariffs for the use of gas networks; - network users will be better informed on the possibility of interruptions and on the liabilities they face when transporting gas through the European networks; - all suppliers will be better informed on the trading of capacity between network users. (E.H./transl.rt)