At the 39th European Gas Regulatory Forum held in Madrid, Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Artur Lorkowski presented an overview of recent regional developments and outstanding challenges. He pointed out ongoing progress in decarbonizing the energy sector and enhancing the independence of network operators. While most network codes have been adopted into national legislation, their full implementation is still in progress. Lorkowski emphasized the importance of deeper cooperation with EU member states to achieve uniform application and integration across the region.
One key achievement highlighted was the activation of reverse flows through the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline. This development demonstrated the value of regional coordination and diversification efforts in boosting energy resilience. Energy security was a central topic. Ukraine, despite suffering extensive damage to its gas infrastructure from deliberate attacks, was able to rapidly restore operations, arrange emergency imports, and maintain uninterrupted gas supplies. Moldova also advanced by certifying an independent system operator and taking steps to regain control of assets formerly held by Gazprom.
Both Ukraine and Moldova have launched gas trading platforms, though progress in liberalizing the retail market has been slow. Wholesale markets remain highly concentrated, and consumer switching between providers is limited. Moldova has already implemented a roadmap for comprehensive gas market reform, and Ukraine is expected to follow with similar measures.
The Energy Community Secretariat noted that the halt of gas transit through Ukraine has not affected gas supply to the EU. The Forum also covered various other initiatives and regulatory updates. These included discussions on the Affordable Energy Action Plan, the upcoming REMIT 2.0 framework, policy packages on hydrogen and decarbonized gas markets, updates to network codes dealing with capacity and congestion, efforts to harmonize gas quality standards, and the implementation of new cross-border tariff systems under the revised gas regulation.
