Brussels, 20/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - Georgia is to engage in reforms so as to adopt EU energy legislation and join the Balkans and Ukraine in an enormous integrated energy market with the EU.
On 20 February, European Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger and Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Minister for Energy Kakha Kaladze started negotiations in Tbilisi for Georgia's accession to the Energy Community. The negotiating teams from the European Commission and Georgian administration held an initial exchange of views on the timetable for Tbilisi to implement EU legislation on electricity and gas networks, the environment, renewable energy, energy efficiency and oil. They also exchanged views on energy statistics. The next negotiation round is due to take place in Brussels on 19 March.
“Today's negotiations mark Georgia's path towards regional integration and enhanced energy cooperation with the EU. Joining the Energy Community will attract investments into Georgia and bring Georgian citizens and businesses closer to the other members of the Energy Community and the European Union”, said Oettinger.
The Energy Community was established on the basis of a treaty that entered into force in 2006 so as to integrate the countries of South-East Europe into the EU's internal energy market, and to guarantee security of supply and investment of the EU and its neighbours. The full members of the Energy Community are the EU, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYROM, Kosovo, Montenegro, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine. It is based on these countries transposing the EU acquis on the internal energy market, and thus on the liberalisation of their energy markets. (EH/transl.fl)