The Third Energy Package and Its Implications for the Energy Sector of the Republic of Moldova

It is known that in October 2011 the Government of the Republic of Moldova signed the agreement on transposing the Directives and Regulations that make up the Third Energy Legislative Package. Under the agreement, this transposition is to be completed by 2015. Accordingly, the purpose of the round table was to present and discuss the study “The Third Energy Package and Its Implications for the Energy Sector of the Republic of Moldova”, and to identify the optimal strategic options for the Republic of Moldova in the context of contractual negotiations with Gazprom JSC and the country's European integration priorities. In this regard, the non-affiliated expert of the Independent Think Tank EXPERT-GRUP,  Ruslan Surugiu, identified the benefits and also the risks of implementing the various scenarios offered to our country by the Third Energy Package.

The advantages of implementing the Third Energy Package are manifold. First, security of supply will improve through the emergence of new producers and suppliers. Second, it will offer the possibility of integration into the regional energy market of South-East Europe, with a subsequent prospect of integration into the EU market. Third, it will make it possible to legally eliminate the monopoly positions held in all market segments, in particular in the natural gas sector, where Moldova-Gaz JSC holds 100% of natural gas supply and more than 80% of the distribution market. Fourth, electricity consumption can be optimised through the introduction of smart meters.

More details on the direct and indirect benefits and the risks of implementing the Third Energy Package for the energy sector of the Republic of Moldova, as well as for the ordinary consumer, can be found in the attached document.

The round table was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Economy, the National Energy Regulatory Agency, donors, investors, academia and think tanks. The event took place today, 22 February, in the conference room of the Jolly Alon hotel, at 14:00.

This event was organised within the project “EU-Moldova Relations – Monitoring Progress under the Eastern Partnership”, implemented by the Independent Think Tank “EXPERT-GRUP” and the Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT with the financial support of the Soros Foundation Moldova