# C_2021108EN.01018701.xml

| 26.3.2021 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 108/187 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

26.3.2021

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 108/187

---

P8_TA(2019)0226

Common rules for the internal market for electricity ***I

European Parliament legislative resolution of 26 March 2019 on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for the internal market in electricity (recast) (COM(2016)0864 — C8-0495/2016 — 2016/0380(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure — recast)

(2021/C 108/19)

The European Parliament,

| — | having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2016)0864), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2016)0864),

| — | having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 194(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C8-0495/2016), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 194(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C8-0495/2016),

| — | having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

| — | having regard to the reasoned opinions submitted, within the framework of Protocol No 2 on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, by the Hungarian Parliament, the Austrian Federal Council and the Polish Senate, asserting that the draft legislative act does not comply with the principle of subsidiarity, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the reasoned opinions submitted, within the framework of Protocol No 2 on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, by the Hungarian Parliament, the Austrian Federal Council and the Polish Senate, asserting that the draft legislative act does not comply with the principle of subsidiarity,

| — | having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 31 May 2017 (1); |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 31 May 2017 (1);

| — | having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 13 July 2017 (2); |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 13 July 2017 (2);

| — | having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 28 November 2001 on a more structured use of the recasting technique for legal acts (3), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 28 November 2001 on a more structured use of the recasting technique for legal acts (3),

| — | having regard to the letter of 7 September 2017 sent by the Committee on Legal Affairs to the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy in accordance with Rule 104(3) of its Rules of Procedure, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the letter of 7 September 2017 sent by the Committee on Legal Affairs to the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy in accordance with Rule 104(3) of its Rules of Procedure,

| — | having regard to the provisional agreement approved by the committee responsible under Rule 69f(4) of its Rules of Procedure and the undertaking given by the Council representative by letter of 18 January 2019 to approve Parliament’s position, in accordance with Article 294(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the provisional agreement approved by the committee responsible under Rule 69f(4) of its Rules of Procedure and the undertaking given by the Council representative by letter of 18 January 2019 to approve Parliament’s position, in accordance with Article 294(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

| — | having regard to Rules 104 and 59 of its Rules of Procedure, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to Rules 104 and 59 of its Rules of Procedure,

| — | having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (A8-0044/2018), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (A8-0044/2018),

| A. | whereas, according to the Consultative Working Party of the legal services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, the Commission proposal does not include any substantive amendments other than those identified as such in the proposal and whereas, as regards the codification of the unchanged provisions of the earlier acts together with those amendments, the proposal contains a straightforward codification of the existing texts, without any change in their substance; |
| --- | --- |

A.

whereas, according to the Consultative Working Party of the legal services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, the Commission proposal does not include any substantive amendments other than those identified as such in the proposal and whereas, as regards the codification of the unchanged provisions of the earlier acts together with those amendments, the proposal contains a straightforward codification of the existing texts, without any change in their substance;

| 1. | Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out, taking into account the recommendations of the Consultative Working Party of the legal services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission; |
| --- | --- |

1.

| 2. | Takes note of the Commission statements annexed to this resolution; |
| --- | --- |

2.

| 3. | Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal; |
| --- | --- |

3.

| 4. | Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments. |
| --- | --- |

4.

---

(1)  OJ C 288, 31.8.2017, p. 91.

(2)  OJ C 342, 12.10.2017, p. 79.

(3)  OJ C 77, 28.3.2002, p. 1.

---

P8_TC1-COD(2016)0380

Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 26 March 2019 with a view to the adoption of Directive (EU) 2019/... of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for the internal market for electricity and amending Directive 2012/27/EU (recast)

(As an agreement was reached between Parliament and Council, Parliament's position corresponds to the final legislative act, Directive (EU) 2019/944.)

---

ANNEX TO THE LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

COMMISSION STATEMENT ON THE INTERCONNECTOR DEFINITION

‘The Commission notes the agreement of the co-legislators relating to the recast Electricity Directive and Recast Electricity Regulation, reverting back to the definition of “interconnector” used in Directive 2009/72/EC and Regulation (EC) No 714/2009. The Commission agrees that electricity markets differ from other markets such as natural gas, e.g. by trading products which can currently not be easily stored and are produced by a large variety of generating installations, including installations at distribution level. As a consequence, the role of connections to third countries differs significantly between the electricity and gas sectors and different regulatory approaches can be chosen.

The Commission will further examine the impact of this agreement and provide guidance on applying the legislation where needed.

For the sake of legal clarity, the Commission wishes to highlight the following:

The agreed definition of interconnector in the Electricity Directive refers to equipment linking electricity systems. This wording does not distinguish different regulatory frameworks or technical situations and thus, a priori, includes all electric connections to third countries in the scope of application. As regards the agreed definition of interconnector in the Electricity Regulation, the Commission underlines that the integration of electricity markets requires a high degree of cooperation between system operators, market participants and regulators. While the scope of applicable rules may vary depending on the degree of integration with the internal electricity market, close integration of third countries into the internal electricity market, such as participation in market coupling projects, should be based on agreements requiring the application of relevant Union law.’

COMMISSION STATEMENT ON ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

COMMISSION STATEMENT ON ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

The Commission notes the agreement of the co-legislators relating to Article 26 to regulate at EU level that energy service providers’ participation in Alternative Dispute Resolution shall be mandatory. The Commission regrets this decision since its proposal had left this choice to Member States in line with the approach adopted in Directive 2013/11/EU on Alternative Resolution for consumer Disputes (the ADR Directive) and bearing in mind the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality.

It is not the Commission’s role to undertake comparative assessments of the individual alternative dispute resolution models put in place by the Member States. The Commission will therefore consider the overall effectiveness of the national alternative dispute resolution landscapes in the context of its general obligation to monitor the transposition and effective application of Union law.

---