Natural gas sector to be regulated by new law in Moldova

Chisinau, 27 May /MOLDPRES/ - The parliament today adopted the law on natural gas in the second reading.  

The document is meant to transpose in the national legislation the EU principles provided for in the Third Energy Package. Presently, the operators on the natural gas market carry out their activity in line with the law on natural from 2009, which is in accordance with the principles and rules established in the Second Energy Package.   

The new draft defines the ways of organisation and work of the natural gas sector, of market access, criteria/procedures applicable for providing the licences for  activities of transport, distribution, delivery and stocking of natural gas, as well as for the exploitation of the closed distribution systems.

Under the document, “the end consumers will be able to benefit from the right to be supplied with natural gas by a provider at will, at negotiable and reasonable prices, in conditions of quality and efficiency, and by observing the principle of security in supply with natural gas.”  

Also, the powers of the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) are extended in the draft law on natural gas, including by giving ANRE the duty to apply financial sanctions for the violation of the obligations set in the charge of natural gas enterprises. The legal framework in force does not allow extrajudicial sanctioning of licence holders. This makes impossible for the regulatory authority to efficiently carry out its mission of ensuring the observance of the legal framework by the subjects participating in the natural gas market, as well as of fighting the violation of the provisions established by law, given that ANRE does not have efficient legal instruments to this end.        

The law will enter into force following publication in the Official Journal (Monitorul Oficial).

(Reporter A. Plitoc, editor L. Alcaza)