My Department has been issued with an additional Reasoned Opinion from the European Commission in regard to certain electricity related aspects of the EU "Third Energy Package". This Package is designed to facilitate completion of the internal market in electricity. Transposition of the Third Package is a complex process and the European Commission issued a Reasoned Opinion in June 2012 in which the Commission raised issues regarding Ireland’s transposition of certain provisions. The Commission stated that it wishes in the additional Reasoned Opinion, which issued in late April, to complement the June 2012 Reasoned Opinion, with, inter alia, clarification of its views with regard to the transposition of the unbundling provisions in the Electricity Directive.
My Department is carefully evaluating the Commission’s opinion and will continue its regular liaison with the Commission on how full compliance is being implemented in Ireland. My Department continues to be committed to delivering full compliance and demonstrating this to the Commission. The Department welcomes that, as part of the set of decisions on Ireland’s electricity and gas infringements announced in April, it was decided to close three other cases under the Second and Third Packages variously in respect of both electricity and gas.
