In November 2016, the European Commission, as part of the ‘Clean Energy for all Europeans’ package, published a set of four legislative documents that were meant to set out the structures and rules of a more integrated future energy market, the so-called market design files.
They offer the crucial opportunity to transform the European electricity system, and allow it to accelerate the energy transition required to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement. This will only be possible if you set the right rules and create well-functioning electricity markets that are open, efficient, consumer-centered and fit for renewables.
In particular the Electricity Regulation and Directive play a vital role in empowering local energy communities, prosumers and energy citizens, ensure that massive market distortions such as coal subsidies in the form of capacity mechanisms are limited and constitute a make or break moment for the energy transition in Europe by potentially enabling the accelerated deployment of renewable energies necessary for a sustainable European economy.
In February 2018, the European Parliament has adopted its position on the market design files and it has been largely more progressive than the Council which adopted its General Approach in December 2017. Negotiations are currently in their final stage, with trilogue meetings between the Parliament, the Council and the European Commission. Ahead of the first trilogue in late June 2018, joint NGO recommendations were sent to policy makers. You can find them here.”
Read our recommendations here:
