Studies

This report sheds light on the scale of direct subsidies in the six Energy Community Contracting Parties which own and utilize generation capacities and resources from coal and lignite: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine. The report covers the period 2018–2019 and builds on previous research encompassing the 2015–2017 period. The World Trade Organization’s definition of subsidies was used to research, identify, calculate and describe subsidies.

The report revealed that all six Contracting Parties analysed provided direct subsidies to electricity generation from coal/lignite during 2018 and 2019. These subsidies amounted to more than EUR 900 million. In absolute terms, the subsidies were the highest in Ukraine, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The report also uncovered the scale of state guaranteed loans, which amounted to almost 2 billion in 2019 alone. 

As defined by the International Energy Agency, “a smart grid is an energy network that uses digital and other advanced technologies to monitor and manage the transport of energy from all generation sources to meet the varying energy demands of end-users”. The aim of smart grids is to maximize system reliability, resilience and stability and minimize costs and environmental impacts by coordinating the needs and resources of end-users and generation, grid and market operators. Since smart grids are mainly based on information sharing, the new information and communication technologies are their vital enabler.

This study is intended to give a snapshot of the current situation of smart grids and smart meter penetration in the Energy Community, based on responses to questionnaires prepared by the Secretariat in consultation with members of the ECDSO-E coordination group. 

The electricity markets in the Contracting Parties are experiencing a period of complex transition, characterised by the coexistence of the liberalization and decarbonisation agendas. As a consequence, a number of plants could potentially retire, which raises security of supply concerns.

The results of this study show that an efficient energy-only regional market would bring the flexibility and adequacy required to maintain security of supply. Yet despite all progress, an efficient regional market mechanism is still not in place in the Western Balkans. Beyond delayed reforms, government actions such as non-compliant State aid distort operational and investments signals. Such State aid is often justified by the claim to maintain security of supply, a claim for which the present study in the current conditions does not provide support.

This final report is based on the analysis of direct and selected hidden subsidies to coal-based electricity production in the Energy Community Contracting Parties published by the Secretariat in March 2019 and the outcome of a subsequent public consultation.

It underlines the serious situation in the coal sector of the Energy Community Contracting Parties where direct subsidies amounted to EUR 1,2 billion in 2015-2017. On top of this, hidden subsidies, notably the non- payment of a carbon tax, totalled EUR 1,9 billion on an annual basis. In the three most coal intensive Contracting Parties (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo* and Serbia), coal subsidies were in absolute terms significantly higher than renewables support. The resulting market distortions and unsustainable consumption patterns are putting the region’s energy transition further at risk.

Following the publication, the Secretariat has continued to revise the study in order to incorporate improved data and new information. The latest summary of comments dates from September 2019.

The study aims to contribute to the reform of  electricity balancing in Southeast Europe.

• provide a basis for the assessment of the prioritisation of integration steps of electricity balancing markets;
• create awareness of the savings potentials of the different forms of balancing market integration; and
• incentivise regulators and transmission system operators (TSOs) to reform their balancing regimes.

It proposes theoretical examples for specific balancing market integration steps, each including at least 2 Contracting Parties’ areas operated by 2 or more TSOs. Each theoretical model represents at least one of the integration targets, pursuant to the Network Code Electricity Balancing, or a case of Sharing of Frequency Restoration Reserves or Replacement Reserves, pursuant to the Network Code on Load-Frequency Control and Reserves.

The Contracting Parties are faced with inefficient balancing markets and typically have only one provider of ancillary services within their countries. This study aims at providing best practice solutions in imbalance settlement mechanisms. It thereby goes beyond the technical elements of system balancing and puts focus on commercial balancing. If was clear from the outset, that the best practice recommendations are to take into account where the Energy Community stands with respect to the 3rd Energy Package implementation.

To this end, the Framework Guidelines developed by ACER and, based on those, the Network Codes developed by ENTSO-E are of key relevance for the future market design. In the light of this, the content of the Framework Guidelines and Network Codes, where they exist, has heavily influenced the recommendations of the present study.

At present, gas system operators in the Energy Community do not have legal obligations to monitor, report or decrease their methane emissions. However, this sector has significant methane emissions reduction potential. Decreasing allowed network losses, setting minimum regular maintenance levels and fostering energy efficiency measures are some of the measures that could be explored.

This report is the outcome of the Secretariat's internal data collection project. Establishment of a baseline of methane emissions stemming from gas system operation activities is a precondition for any concrete, future emissions reduction action. The scope of the project also included joining the Methane Guiding Principles, to underline the Energy Community’s future direction in relation to methane emission policies.

The main objective of this project was to contribute to understanding of the effects of the Tariff Network Code (TAR NC)^[1] implementation on the existing gas transmission tariffs in two selected Energy Community Contracting Parties, namely Serbia and Ukraine. Proper understanding of the possibilities delivered by the TAR NC should help all regulators to prepare for the legislative and regulatory challenges ahead in the field of gas transmission tariff setting.
 

^[1] REGULATION (EU) 2017/460 of 16 March 2017 establishing a network code on harmonised transmission tariff structures for gas

The study analyses potential geographic scope of gas market integration discussing four regional gas market integration options comprising Contracting Parties and neighbouring EU markets. The options are assessed in their actual potential to directly access new gas sources. The study also makes a cost-benefit analysis on the four market integration options. Here the potential for welfare creation and  improved market functioning improve market functioning in terms of security of supply, competition and liquidity resulting from market integration is evaluated orientating on the indicators of the European Gas Target Model. 

The study proves considerable primary benefits of the selected market integration options, ranging from 110 mil EUR to 872 mil EUR for “Ukraine West Integration” i.e. from 3 mil EUR to 62 mil EUR for “Serbia North Integration”, depending on the efficiency of both wholesale and retail markets.

This study provides guidelines for implementing the Regulation (EU) 994/2010 in the Energy Community and evaluates possible infrastructure projects to improve security of gas supply in the region. The analysis show that the Contracting Parties have already implemented several elements of the regulation. For example, all Contracting Parties with access to natural gas already have some form of an emergency plan. However, the study concludes that Ukraine and Moldova are the only Energy Community Contracting Parties presently meeting the N-1 criterion, as defined in the Regulation..

For the assessment of candidate projects the consultant developed an assessment methodology, building on its previous assessments of infrastructure projects on behalf of the Energy Community in 2013 and 2016, as well as taking into account the methodology applied for the latest selection of EU Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) under the same Regulation as well as the methodologies for the assessment of network infrastructure projects developed by ENTSO-E and ENTSOG. 
The report provides an overview of all submitted investment projects as well as the modelling assumptions that have been made and agreed to with the PECI Groups, presenting detailed results and rankings of the projects. Based on the best estimate ranking and the additional information provided by the sensitivity analysis, the Groups were able to make an informed decision on the preliminary list.

The 16th Ministerial Council adopted the list of projects of Energy Community interest in November 2018. 

The modelling results on the expected future progress by 2020 indicate the likelihood by each Contracting Party to achieve the binding 2020 RES target as required under the RES Directive. There are two distinct scenarios concerning the future development of energy demand (i.e. reference and efficiency trends, originally based on CPs NREAPs, but corrected in accordance with actual demand developments). Results suggest that Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and Montenegro, are expected to reach the given 2020 target with currently implemented and planned policy measures – if energy demand will develop as planned according to the low demand case (assuming complementary energy efficiency measures to be taken or other reasons that justify the low demand path). Despite the expected increase in absolute terms, Albania, Kosovo*, FYR of Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine would fail to achieve their 2020 RES targets.

The Secretariat’s study analysed the Contracting Parties progress in renewable energy in 2012-2013 based on data provided in each Progress Report and checked consistency with the data in official energy statistics. It identified inconsistencies in data reported with energy statistics mostly related to biomass consumption in some Contracting Parties. Accuracy and reliability of biomass data is instrumental for the Contracting Parties in reaching the 2020 renewable energy targets and an urgent revision of energy statistics based on energy consumption surveys is needed.

In autumn 2014, the Secretariat engaged a consultant, E4tech, to provide knowledge transfer to the Energy Community Contracting Parties and Georgia (Observer) on sustainable biofuels in the transport sector. The aim of the support was to deepen the knowledge of stakeholders on the sustainability criteria for biofuels and related certification systems and to recommend appropriate solutions for biofuel uptake. The consultancy support consisted of workshops and national reports.

The objective of the study was to determine the biomass consumption for electricity, heating and cooling based on representative and consistent consumption surveys. This was to result in a report on the share of energy produced from biomass in the gross final consumption of energy in the Contracting Parties. CRES was tasked to carry out biomass consumption surveys and collect data for the years 2009 and 2010. As a next step, it reconstructed the statistical energy data series back to reference year 2005 according to EUROSTAT practice.

The 2013 Ministerial Council proposed the implementation of Directive 2012/27/EU in the Energy Community in 2014 with certain modifications. When adopted in the Energy Community, the Directive will repeal Directive 2006/32/EC and set more ambitious energy efficiency targets. This study assesses the impact of the implementation of the Directive 2012/27/EU in the Energy Community focussing on its four key provisions: national targets; exemplary role of public buildings; energy efficiency obligation schemes; and promotion of efficiency in heating and cooling.

The main aim of the study was to support the Contracting Parties in their efforts to meet their obligations under the Energy Community Treaty. The study gives a comprehensive overview of status of implementation of the Building Directive in the Contracting Parties. It also tries to facilitate the Parties' future efforts in preparation of NEEAPs and to change attitude toward energy consumption in buildings. The report gives guidelines for preparing inventory of buildings and defining reference building for each category as defined in the EPB Directive.

Enabling customers to switch their suppliers is a core prerequisite for a well-working liberalised market. Whilst functional in the EU, these procedures have not yet been established in the Energy Community context. To facilitate the process, the Energy Community contracted consultants to develop best practice recommendations for customers’ supplier switching, both for electricity and gas markets.  The study identifies a best practice switching model among the EU-27 using a variety of criteria.

In an ideal world, the national regulatory authorities would ensure liberalization of the electricity market without any worsening of the quality of electricity service. The study provides recommendations for the quality of electricity service data collecting, reporting and auditing and the gradual development of the quality of service regulation. The study refers to recently made experience of European Union Member States on the quality of service regulation and uses best practise legislation as a sort of a checklist for all the necessary activities. It addresses the three dimensions of the quality of service, namely the continuity of supply, the voltage quality and the commercial quality.

The aim was to develop a set of best practice recommendations for rolling-out smart metering in the Energy Community, taking into account the EU's lessons learned and the specifics of its Contracting Parties.  The cost-benefit assessments regarding smart metering deployment as specified in Annex I of the Directives 2009/72/EC and 2009/73/EC are due by Jan 2014. The ECRB commissioned the report due to the fact that large-scale implementation of smart metering has not yet taken place in the Energy Community and that all Contracting Parties still need to carry out the economic assessment of the long-term benefits and costs of smart metering implementation. 

The starting point of this study was an assessment of the current state of development of the Contracting Parties with respect to the EU cybercrime legal framework (Budapest Convention), which forms a basis for cybersecurity legislation by defining criminal law offences and associated provisions and thus enables prosecution of cybercrime actors. Special attention has been placed on critical infrastructure and essential services identification criteria, as well as on national strategies on the security of network and information systems applicable to both the electricity and gas sectors.

An overview for each Contracting Party was prepared based on the collected and consolidated information. International standards, training programs and cooperation initiatives as enablers for energy-related cybersecurity capacity building, were indicated at a country level.

The core objective was to further develop the methodology and to conduct a quantitative assessment of pathways for achieving calculated 2030 energy efficiency, RES and GHG emissions reduction targets that can be expected under aligned framework conditions in the Contracting Parties.The report describes the methodologies, data and key assumptions for deriving 2030 energy and climate targets. A set of options that can be used for target setting has been derived within each respective field and for overall GHG emission reduction.

The study concludes that setting GHG targets is strongly needed due to several highly GHG emitting industrial processes in the Energy Community region. Setting 2030 GHG emission targets is the beginning of a convergence process towards the EU long term (i.e. 2050) target that needs to take into account countries current and historic emissions pro-files and the strong need for economic recovery.

Building on the technical assistance provided, the consultant prepared a final report - with following focus: 

• Assessments of the problematic issues, possible solutions and evaluation of each solutions (viability, risks and advantages)
• Recommendation of procedural and substantial dealing with the issues of concern
  - elaboration of criteria for evaluation and recognition of costs component of concern,
  - introduction of incentive based tariffs, with the focus on quality based incentives challenges and best practices
  - allocation of costs component and tariff design.

The goal of the study was to assess value-added tax (VAT) legislation in the Contracting Parties in order to identify obstacles to market competition and market integration stemming from non-harmonized rules governing the VAT on goods and services in the network energy businesses, and to propose measures for their harmonization. Harmonized VAT rules are meant to ensure a level playing field with regards to the supply and demand of gas and electricity, both between the Energy Community  on one side and EU Member States on the other, as well as among the Contracting Parties.