Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan GRIP 2017

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3.2.5 LEGAL FRAMEWORK

The Estonian natural gas market and system are regulated by the Natural Gas Act. The Act is in force since 2003 and latest version is in force from January 2016. The Natural Gas Act governs the activities related to the import, transmission, distribu- tion and sale of natural gas by way of gas networks, and connection to networks. The Act has implemented Directive 2009/73/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 concerning common rules for the internal market in natu- ral gas. The directive gives Estonia the option to deviate from the regulations con- cerning the deregulation of the natural gas market as long as the country has only one principal supplier of natural gas. Regardless of the exemption, Estonia has deregulated the natural gas market, and the TSO has been unbundled from the vertically integrated sales company. Estonia is working on implementing all EU legislation, including network codes as they come into force. Latest developments are the standard balancing rules for market partici- pants and capacity booking and allocation methodology for transmission capacity. Estonia, together with Latvia, Lithuania and Finland, is working on the establishment of a regional gas market. The vision is to have a regional gas market with a single entry-exit zone and the accompanying harmonised market rules and tariffs. The regional gas market and single entry-exit zone vision will also be reflected in the next versions of national legislation.

BEMIP Gas Regional Investment Plan 2017 |

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