On 22 January 2024, the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission held a kick-off meeting for the project "Creation and implementation of regulatory mechanisms for the natural gas market in Bulgaria". The project is funded by the European Commission under Regulation (EU) 2021/240 establishing a Technical Assistance Instrument. The main objective is to increase the analytical and technical capacity of the Regulator to develop new methodologies, rules, guidelines and models for the natural gas market in Bulgaria. From a regulatory point of view, the project contributes to the alignment of the national gas market with the EU legal framework.

At the meeting, EWRC was represented by the Chairman Assoc. Prof. Ivan Ivanov, EWRC members Alexandar Yordanov, Blagoy Golubarev and Penka Trendafilova, as well as by the project working group including experts from the Natural Gas Division, the Legal Division and the General Administration Division. Mr. Luca Di Donatantonio participated on behalf of the EC Directorate General for Structural Reforms Support (DG REFORM). The meeting was also attended by the team of the selected project contractor – the consulting company Trinomics and its partner, the Black Sea Energy Research Centre.

EWRC representatives stressed the need to update the regulatory framework in several directions - the Methodology for determining prices for natural gas access and transmission, the Guidelines for determining prices for access and storage of natural gas, the assessment of investments and costs of gas distribution companies. It is also essential for the Regulator to align with the European rules determining the categories of information constituting a trade secret as well as its use, storage and publication.

Source: EWRC