European Integration: EC Begins Pre-screening of Ukrainian Legislation in the Energy Sector.

Ukraine and the European Union Are Preparing for an Energy Meeting

Ukraine and the European Union have started preparations for a bilateral meeting within the framework of negotiation chapter 15 “Energy”.

According to the Ministry of Energy, the meeting reviewed Ukraine's implementation of recommendations presented in the framework of the 2023 EU Enlargement Package, as well as further steps to assess the compliance of Ukrainian legislation with European law. The Ukrainian side also presented drafts of legislative acts related to RES, the Integration Package in the field of electricity, strengthening the independence of the NEURC, as well as in the field of energy efficiency.

In his speech, the Director General of the Government Office for the Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Oleksandr Ilkov, emphasized the importance of the official screening, which will determine the path of the further negotiation process. At the same Time, he explained that the goal of the pre-screening is to prioritize areas where the parties can make progress even before the start of the bilateral part of the negotiations and jointly assess legislative act drafts currently being developed by the Ministry of Energy for compliance with European legislation.

In turn, Deputy Minister of Energy Roman Andarak noted that Ukraine's Energy Strategy to 2050 envisages comprehensive integration with the EU energy markets and ensures the effective functioning of internal energy markets: “This should happen through our further legal, technical, and economic synchronization. I particularly want to emphasize the importance of all three components, as we understand that the main task is not only the implementation of legislation but also the achievement of the goals laid down in the relevant EU Directives and Regulations.”

The Deputy Minister also noted that as part of the implementation of recommendations from the latest Enlargement Package, the National Plan on Energy and Climate for the period up to 2030 has already been approved as of today; the conditions for holding auctions for the distribution of support quotas to stimulate the development of RES have been improved; guarantees of the origin of electricity produced from renewable energy sources and more have been introduced.

EC representatives emphasized that among the priorities in the context of both the EU energy policy and enlargement as a whole will be directions such as energy accessibility through the creation of a strong internal energy market; sustainability of the energy sector in the framework of the implementation of the European Green Deal and achieving climate neutrality; as well as supply security, which includes preparedness for risks, winter periods, and nuclear safety.

Significant attention was paid by the delegation to the integration of electricity markets. According to EC estimates, the economic potential of integration is 34 billion euros.