With the recent establishment of the Egyptian Gas Regulator, Mediterranean Energy Regulators (MEDREG) came together in Cairo to discuss the independence of regulators, their financial autonomy and gas market models, at a workshop titled “Towards the establishment of an independent Egyptian Gas regulator: Market Model and License Fees”, organised by the EU-supported Mediterranean Energy Regulators’ Association (MEDREG) and hosted by the Egyptian Gas Holding Company EGAS.

Opening the workshop, the EU Delegation representative recalled the important role of Egypt in the Mediterranean region, underlining the latest discovery of the Zohr gas field which will have a great impact in resource diversification for the region.
 
Based on their experience of funding mechanisms, the Turkish and Albanian regulators, EMRA and ERE, shared good practices and pitfalls to avoid in order to achieve a proper gas market model; they also explained how the evolution of license fees has accompanied the changes in their national markets. Meanwhile the Portuguese regulator ERSE and the Greek regulator RAE introduced the core principles that characterize their market models, focusing on the relation between the regulator and the market players.
 
In the context of its substantial reform of its energy sector, Egypt new gas sector reforms established an independent regulatory authority for the gas market, which joined MEDREG in 2016.
 
MEDREG members have been sharing experience and good practices with the new body charged with the setting up of the gas regulator, with the aim of reinforcing the capacity of the regulator as a leverage for market development.
 
The workshop discussed methodologies to estimate license fees and the management of a developing gas market.

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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