Brussels, 16/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission adopted on Tuesday its communication on the progress and perspectives of the internal market for electricity, presented by Commissioner Loyola de Palacio (see yesterday's EUROPE, page 8). While highlighting the advances of liberalisation (65% of the market has been opened, as against 28% foreseen by the directive), the Commission is of the view that there is a need to go further. "We must reach a situation where all consumers will in time have the right to choose their supplier", commented Loyola de Palacio.
The Commission is considering coming forward with proposals to speed up the liberalisation process, notably on the following points: 1) transit pricing, via the setting into place of a system reflecting the sharing of costs by operators and consumers (proposals are expected to be ready by year's end); 2) congestion management, through a mechanism for concerted action and common guidelines on the allocation of available capacities; 3) further opening of markets, with presentation by year's end of proposals for an increase in the number of eligible consumers, greater unbundling of operational and accounting aspects and acceleration of third-party access to the regulated network, while taking into account the needs related to public service; 4) additional measures (study of pricing of access to networks used in Member States, promotion of renewable energy, negotiation of agreements with certain third countries).