Mediterranean Energy Regulators gathered on 24 May in Athens for the EU-supported Mediterranean Energy Regulators’ Association’s (MEDREG) 23rd General Assembly. During the meeting, members debated the strategy and action plan for MEDREG in the medium term; discussed the development of tailored support activities for members’ national reforms; and approved a new communications strategy which will deepen and extend MEDREG’s outreach and the dissemination of its concrete achievements.

Members underlined the necessity of sound regulation in the region and reiterated the importance of the technical cooperation and mutual support activities for MEDREG in the coming years. In particular, they see the need for a set of actions that will continue, in practical terms, to facilitate and develop a common regulatory culture and a regionally coherent approach to market regulation.

MEDREG unveiled the first activities of its new initiative for “Support to Regulatory Reforms”, which offers tailored and personalised assistance to members on national regulatory issues. Starting in July, MEDREG will launch a peer review of the Energy and Mineral Regulatory Commission (EMRC), the Jordanian energy regulator. EMRC aims at reinforcing its monitoring activities on electricity utilities and has recently become responsible for the regulation of the gas sector.

In addition, MEDREG is preparing a technical study visit of the newly established Egyptian gas regulator (EGAS) to its Portuguese counterpart (ERSE) in November, to learn good practices on liberalisation of the gas market, with a particular focus on consumers’ eligibility criteria. The Palestinian regulator PERC and the Energy Ministry of Tunisia will be next in line with reports on renewables deployment and on construction of a cross-border interconnection cable between Tunisia and Italy, respectively.

Members also discussed and approved a new communications strategy, providing a range of actions for spreading widely the organisation’s concrete achievements, including enhanced online tools and use of social media.

They approved a report on best practices in Consumer Associations, along with a work methodology on dispute resolution which will increase the regulators’ capacity to facilitate dialogue between consumers and companies. In addition, progress made on the other Working Groups’ various deliverables was presented.

MEDREG is an Association that brings together energy regulators of 21 countries around the Mediterranean in order to promote a clear, stable and harmonised legal and regulatory framework through a continuous cooperation among the Northern, Southern and Eastern shores of the Mediterranean basin. MEDREG benefits from the support of the European Union and of the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER).

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