Gas Regional Initiative North West charts its course for 2012

Regulators, network operators and market parties in the Northwestern European countries that are members of the Gas Regional Initiative North West (GRI NW) recently adopted a roadmap for the period from 2008 to 2012. They did so at a joint meeting in the 'West-Indisch Huis' (West Indian House) in Amsterdam, which was attended by delegates from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, the UK, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Norway.

The aim of this Roadmap is to work towards achieving the internal European gas market, with a regional Northwestern European market as an intermediate step. The Roadmap indicates how, by working together, the members of the GRI NW can take a positive step towards a fully liberal gas market throughout Europe in the longer term. To achieve this aim, obstacles now preventing trade on the European gas market must be removed wherever possible.

Essential issues identified by the Roadmap include working on a high level of transparency and making sure there is enough transport capacity available. In addition, parallel developments on the level of the European Union will be taken into account at all times. The structure of the GRI NW has been adapted to the changing circumstances. The newly formed Programme Board will guide the underlying working groups in the right direction. The GRI NW will immediately start working according to the new structure. The first step will be to form the working groups. Additionally, close contact will be maintained with the Ministries so that any legal bottlenecks can be overcome.

Peter Plug, Director of the Office of Energy Regulation (DTe) of the Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) and Chairman of the GRI NW, is very enthusiastic about this new step forward. 'It will help us achieve results much faster when removing barriers to cross-border trade in the regions in the run-up to the single European market for gas. I believe it is really important that all the parties are behind this process and are making their own contributions, and it is sending out a very positive signal.'

The GRI NW is working intensively with the European Commission, Government Ministries, network companies and other relevant (market) parties. Besides the Northwestern European market, there is also a joint venture involving regulators and parties from South and Southwestern Europe. They too want to identify and remove market thresholds in order to create a European gas market.