WEC speaks at Baltic market integration conference

Einari Kisel, WEC Senior Fellow, commented on European energy market policies and discussed the role of the World Energy Council in a presentation at the Conference on the Baltic Energy Market Integration Plan (BEMIP) on 14 September in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The BEMIP aims to connect the electricity and gas markets of the Baltic states (Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia) with those in Poland and the Nordic region (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden). These countries agreed an action plan with the European Commission in 2009.  As part of policy implementation, countries are building new interconnections and have developed national legislations, while Estonia and Lithuania have set up a power exchange. New power plant projects have also started, or are being constructed or planned.

Mr Kisel said the Plan has reflected the best practices described in the WEC report on connectivity, which calls for more coherent approaches on regulations to encourage infrastructure investments.

As part of the BEMIP, the European Commission has provided funding for transmission and distribution and is planning investment into gas pipelines.

He continued: “The BEMIP’s interconnection programme has encouraged countries to come up with new and innovative legislation in just a few years,” adding that some of these legislations could be replicated in other countries with similar interconnection requirements.

Günther Oettinger, the EU Energy Commissioner, and Andrius Kubilius, Prime Minister of Lituhania, also addressed the conference.