What’s new?
Electricity: For the latest news on the UK-Ireland-France region, see the electricity regional initiatives - link opens in a new browser window web pages which contain more information including background, meetings and relevant documents.
What are the Regional Initiatives?
In 2006 the European Regulators (ERGEG) launched the Electricity Regional Initiative (ERI) and the Gas Regional Initiative (GRI).
The Electricity and Gas Regional Initiatives are European-wide initiatives intended as a concrete contribution to the integration of national markets by facilitating the creation of regional energy markets, in electricity and gas respectively. Such regional market integration is a practical and achievable way of delivering step-wise progress towards a competitive single European market for electricity and gas.
These ERGEG initiatives will bring real benefits to consumers by helping progress towards a more integrated single EU energy market. The initiatives aim to involve all stakeholders including Member States, transmission system operators, industry and the European Commission.
Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes and Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs have endorsed the development of regional markets as an interim step to achieving a fully integrated European energy market.
ERGEG will report publicly on the ongoing progress of the electricity and gas Regional Energy Markets including through the Florence and Madrid Fora respectively. For further details see the Regional Initiatives - link opens in a new browser window section of the ERGEG website.
The Electricity Regional Initiatives (ERI)
The Electricity Regional Initiative established seven electricity Regional Energy Market (REM) projects. The overall aim is for each regional market to identify specific problematic impediments to trade or distortions to trade, and introduce practical improvements that will contribute to removing them.
Ofgem is lead regulator for the France, UK and Ireland Region.
The Gas Regional Initiatives (GRI)
In the same way, the Gas Regional Initiative established three gas REM projects which aim to push forward, at a practical level, the development of regional markets in collaboration with industry, member states, the European Commission and other stakeholders.
The UK is part of the North–West Region which also includes the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Poland. Ofgem is closely involved with the North-West Region’s work and is also chair of the Gas Regional Initiative Task Force.
Further information and updates are available on the merged CEER/ERGEG - link opens in a new browser window website.
Keep informed
Ofgem will use this website to keep you informed of key activities and consultations within the North-North West gas and France-UK-Ireland electricity Regional Initiatives.
To subscribe to new information and be notified of new documents placed on these pages, please visit Ofgem's email alerts page.