Members' Research Service By / April 13, 2023

Improving the design of the EU electricity market [EU Legislation in Progress]

Energy prices have been rising since mid-2021, initially in the context of the post-Covid economic recovery.

© tichr / Adobe Stock

Written by Agnieszka Widuto (1st edition).

On 14 March 2023, the European Commission proposed a reform of the EU electricity market, with the aim of reducing price volatility for consumers and creating favourable conditions for investors in low-carbon energy. The reform includes two legislative proposals – one on electricity market design (EMD) and the other on protection against wholesale energy market manipulation. These two proposals revise five pieces of EU legislation.

The electricity market reform seeks to make the energy bills of consumers and businesses less dependent on short-term price fluctuations, which are often driven by fossil fuel prices. It also improves consumer protection by offering more fixed-priced contracts and enhancing supplier obligations, and incentivises solutions such as energy communities, self-consumption and renewable energy sharing.

The reform supports the use of more long-term instruments such as power purchase agreements and contracts for difference, and improves integration and liquidity in forward markets. It also enhances flexibility solutions such as demand response and storage. Furthermore, it aims to improve market monitoring and transparency, and protection against manipulation.

Both legislative proposals will now be negotiated by the European Parliament and the Council.

Versions

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2019/943 and (EU) 2019/942 as well as Directives (EU) 2018/2001 and (EU) 2019/944 to improve the Union’s electricity market design
Committee responsible:Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)COM(2023) 148
14.3.2023
Rapporteur:Nicolàs Gonzales Casares (S&D, Spain)2023/0077(COD)
Shadow rapporteurs:Maria da Graça Carvalho (EPP, Portugal); Morten Petersen (Renew, Denmark); Michael Bloss (Greens/EFA, Germany); Paolo Borchia (ID, Italy); Zdzisław Krasnodębski (ECR, Poland); Marina Mesure (GUE/NGL, France)Ordinary legislative procedure (COD)
(Parliament and Council on equal footing
– formerly ‘co-decision’)
Next steps expected: Publication of draft report
EU legislation in progress

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