Brussels, 04/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - Network operators and electricity exchanges in 14 member states - Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom and Sweden, plus Norway - inaugurated a joint electricity trading pilot project on 4 February, called day ahead market coupling. This is an important step on the way towards a European electricity market and was launched jointly by the European Commission, regulators, network managers and electricity exchanges in north-west Europe. Coupling markets in north-west Europe is known as NWE-DA and combines all the offers and promotions made at a regional level. It also creates an extensive integrated electricity market in a zone that accounts for 75% of electricity consumption in the EU. The European Commission is preparing a Community regulation that will make coupling the markets in the whole of the EU compulsory. In a press release, the Commission explains that “linking up the market at a European level can lead to significant cost savings to the benefit of European customers”. (EH/transl.fl)