Brattle Consultants Author Impact Assessment for ACER Framework Guidelines on Gas Transmission Tariffs

The Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) has recently released an Impact Assessment (IA) concerning ACER’s Framework Guidelines on tariffs for gas transport networks in the EU. Authored by Brattle principal Dan Harris and consultant Penelope Wilson, the IA was presented on September 18th before an ACER public workshop. Specifically, the IA identifies issues with the current tariffs regimes and proposes recommendations as to which aspects of EU gas transport tariffs should be harmonized and which should be left to Member State Transmission System Operators (TSOs). The study also highlights recent developments in EU gas market rules and regulations, and describes the advantages and disadvantages of potential policy options concerning the harmonization of transmission tariff structures by assessing their potential impacts. The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG) will rely on ACER’s Guidelines to draw up a tariff network code, which will have legal force. Brattle’s IA is a critical document for EU TSOs, as it will bear a large influence on the tariff structures they will be able to apply in the future. Nearly all of Brattle’s recommendations were implemented into ACER’s final IA. For more information and to download the Brattle study, please visit the ACER website.