ACER Finds ENTSOG’s Plan For Gas Infrastructure Contributes To Non-Discrimination And Effective Competition, But Should Improve Its Cost Analysis

ACER publishes today its Opinion on the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG)’s draft Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) for 2017. The Agency considers that the plan is in line with the relevant European Commission Regulation in terms of contributing to non-discrimination, effective competition, and secure market functioning, but fails regarding the quality of the cost-benefit analysis (CBA). A significant part of the CBA shortcomings were already noted in the Opinion of the Agency on the TYNDP 2015. Due to the lack of proper CBA, the draft TYNDP 2017 may not sufficiently contribute to the efficient functioning of the market.

The Agency encourages ENTSOG to implement certain “short-term” recommendations when finalising the TYNDP 2017, and urges ENTSOG to start working on implementing the Agency’s “long-term” recommendations, in particular by improving the CBA methodology for its full application in the next TYNDP 2018 and the 4th selection round of projects of common interest.