Geert Moelker, currently Manager of Electricity Markets and Regulation with the Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa), has been elected vice-chairman of the Electricity working group (Electricity Working Group, EWG) of the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER). European regulators from all 27 European Member States work closely together in the EWG on regulation of the electricity market. Earlier this month, Peter Plug resigned his position as EWG chairman because he stepped down as Energy and Transport director at the NMa.
Mr. Moelker comments on his election: ‘Many great challenges lie ahead of the international electricity market. In the next few years, tough choices need to be made about investments in, for example, renewable energy, grid expansion, or the way electricy trade between countries is organized. Almost any choice we make automatically affects other countries. It is therefore critical that we, as regulators, set the same standards everywhere, and that we harmonize our oversight efforts. This will make it easier for businesses to operate internationally. And that, in turn, will lead to increased freedom of choice for consumers. With this position in the EWG, the NMa will continue to be able to play a leading role in these developments.’
Martin Crouch of the British energy regulator Ofgem is the chairman of the EWG.
On January 1, 2013, the NMa will merge with the Netherlands Consumer Authority and the Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority of the Netherlands (OPTA), creating a new authority: The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). This new authority aims to ensure that markets work in order to protect consumer interests. To this end, the ACM will focus on three main themes: consumer protection, industry-specific regulation, and competition oversight.