NMa awarded influential position within European working group on electricity

Peter Plug, director of the Office of Energy and Transport Regulation at the Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa), has been appointed chairman of the Electricity Working Group (EWG) of the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER). In the EWG, European regulators from all 27 European member states work together on relevant electricity-related issues.

'This position is a wonderful opportunity,' Mr. Plug says in a reaction. 'By chairing the EWG, the NMa is in a position to encourage European countries to harmonize their national regulatory rules. The EWG plays a pivotal role in this process by drawing up so-called framework guidelines for the European codes. This way, we contribute enormously to the creation of a European energy market. This is good for the Netherlands: a larger market means more choice and therefore better electricity prices. As a result, the European market also benefits Dutch consumers.'


Mr. Plug has been appointed chairman for a period of two years and will be succeeding Asta Sihvohnen Punkka from the Finnish regulator EMV. Martin Crouch, from the British regulator Ofgem, is the deputy chairman of EWG.


Mr. Plug, 41, also chairs the Gas Regional Initiative North West, in which various stakeholders from nine countries work together on improving the integration process of the natural-gas market.