Brussels, 12/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - A memorandum of understanding with the Energy Community confirms Ukraine's commitment to implementing EU legislation on energy.
Torn between moving closer to the EU and staying within Russia's sphere of influence, Ukraine has nevertheless confirmed its commitment to take part fully in the EU's internal energy market. Indeed, on 7 February Ukraine's Minister for Energy and the Coal Industry Eduard Stavytsky signed a memorandum of understanding with Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Janez Kopac - a memorandum of understanding in which Ukraine “confirms its commitment to transpose into its national legal framework and fully implement Energy Community legislation”, according to a press release from the Energy Community secretariat. The memorandum of understanding provides for the creation of an effective implementation mechanism, including working groups for amending and drafting legislation to transpose Energy Community law, which is based on the Community acquis on energy. The working groups will include representatives of all relevant stakeholders, including regulatory authorities, network operators, consumers, industry, donors, international financial institutions and development banks, civil society organisations, and expert centres. The Energy Community secretariat will provide technical and legal assistance.
Kopac hailed “the constant desire of Ukraine to contribute to the Energy Community process, despite the current turmoil”. “Since its accession to the Energy Community in 2011, Ukraine has made valuable progress towards meeting its international obligations under the Energy Community Treaty. I believe this process will now continue at a faster pace. I would also like to stress the importance of this clear message towards reforms in the energy sector in Ukraine”, he added.
The Energy Community was set up on the basis of a treaty which entered into force in 2006 to integrate the countries of South-East Europe into the internal energy market of the EU, to ensure security of supply to the EU and its close neighbours, and to secure investments. It brings together, as full members around the EU, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYROM, Moldova, Serbia, Montenegro, Ukraine and Kosovo, and depends on these countries transposing the acquis communautaire on the internal energy market and thus on the liberalisation of their energy markets. The treaty establishing the Energy Community expires in July 2016 but it members can decide to prolong it by a unanimous vote.
Ukraine, which holds the presidency of the Energy Community in 2014, will formulate proposals to renew the treaty. “Its [the treaty's] new edition would largely contribute integrating efforts of the Energy Community states in the issues of energy development, increasing the competitiveness of companies in the market, providing more effective mechanisms for mutual assistance and interests' protection, equal opportunities to use the European Union tools to achieve common goals taking into consideration the interests of Ukraine”, said Stavytsky. (EH/transl.fl)