OREANDA-NEWS. On March 30, 2009 Delegates of the European Parliament and Council of Ministers on reached an agreement on all five pieces of the third liberalization package for electricity and gas, reported the press-centre of Lietuvos Energija.

The negotiators found compromises on all items in the package including separation (unbundling) of transmission operations, consumer protection, powers of national regulatory authorities and decision-making on network codes. This accord strengthens regional cooperation, defines the role of ENTSO-E and its importance while implementing the third package provisions and network codes.

By mid 2009, as scheduled, activities of all European electricity associations will be transferred to the care of ENTSO-E organization, uniting 42 electricity operators. Currently ENTSO-E has an elected board, four established committees with their chairpersons elected and a finalized committee membership.

According to Mr. Darius Masionis, Board Member of ENTSO-E, General Manager of Lietuvos Energija AB, Lithuania in the ENTSO-E organization is playing the role of special significance with regard to ongoing changes within the power sector and is important for the entire region. We now have a possibility to directly draw the attention to the fact, that the Baltic States, although being actual EU members, are still operating in the power system inherited from the Soviet Union. We especially highlight this when talking about issues of energy security”, says Mr.Masionis.

The fact that each ENTSO-E committee has one representative from Lietuvos Energija is especially useful for Lithuania.  “The membership of our experts is to expedite the integration of Baltic power systems and energy markets into Western Europe and make it possible to implement goals defined in the long-term energy strategy of Lithuania", - says Mr.D.Masionis.

In the System Development Committee the Baltic region's work group has been established, which is to be joined by Mr.Vidmantas Grusas, Board member of Lietuvos Energija AB, Director of the Grid Department. This group will decide on the region’s infrastructural, grid planning as well as issues of interconnection of different operators.

In the Market Development Committee, Lietuvos Energija is represented by Mr.Edvardas Vazgela, Head of Market Administration Department.  The System Operation Committee has been joined by Mr.Daivis Virbickas, Head of Power System Control Department. This committee deals with issues related to the dispatch control operations. In the Law and Regulation Committee, Lietuvos Energija is represented by Mr.Mindaugas Jablonskis, Board Member, Director of Law and Regulation Department.   

The accord between the delegates of the European Parliament and Council of Ministers of March 23 also obliges the transmission system operator to develop a 10-year network plan and submit it to national regulatory institutions every two years. The deal allows Member States to choose among three unbundling options: full ownership unbundling, an independent system operator and the independent transmission operator.