The Administrative Board of the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) has extended the mandate of the current Director, Mr Christian Zinglersen, for another five-year mandate. This takes effect from 1 January 2025 until 31 December 2029.
Mr Zinglersen’s reappointment as ACER Director ensures continued leadership of the Agency at a time of significant challenges in EU energy markets, ambitious EU energy and climate goals and an expanded role for ACER. The Agency is on the path of significant growth, reflecting its expanding role following three major legislative packages adopted in 2024. These reforms (which aim to enhance electricity market integration, strengthen the oversight of energy markets to protect businesses from market abuse, and support gas decarbonisation) coupled with its previously mandated work shape ACER’s agenda for the years ahead.
Chair of ACER’s Administrative Board, Ms Edit Herczog, said:
“In the context of today’s planetary and geopolitical boundaries and the importance of energy to our society and the economy, the role of ACER in driving an interconnected EU energy ecosystem is vital. This is the mission of the ACER Director and leadership for the next five years.”
Chair of ACER’s Boards of Regulators, Ms Clara Poletti, said:
“The unanimous favourable opinion of the Board of Regulators to the Director’s reappointment underscores the national regulators’ belief in Mr Zinglersen’s strong leadership and his dedication to steering the Agency through its evolving mandate.”
On his reappointment as ACER Director, Mr Zinglersen said:
“I am honoured to have the trust and confidence of the ACER Boards to steer the Agency through its evolving mandate for the coming years. At ACER, we understand the real-world energy challenges and trade-offs that governments and stakeholders face. One such key challenge facing Europe, and a promise of the European Commission under its new political mandate, is to enhance EU competitiveness while reducing energy bills for companies and households. A key component here will be how Europe’s integrated energy markets evolve in the years ahead. Naturally ACER and our members, the National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs), will have a key role to play here if leaders across the EU decide to leverage further this potential asset.
Building trust is not built solely on shared values but also through ACER’s daily graft alongside the NRAs of monitoring energy markets and networks to ensure the rules are respected, removing barriers, increasing transparency, analysing data to detect market manipulation and insider trading, and providing evidence-based insights that help decision-makers make informed decisions about the trade-offs they face. As the saying goes, ‘The only easy day was yesterday’, reflecting that as our energy transition unfolds, there will be ample new and exciting challenges to devote ourselves to.”
The ACER Administrative Board’s decision (at its 11-12 December meeting) to reappoint Director Zinglersen was based on a proposal by the European Commission and supported by a favourable opinion from the ACER Board of Regulators by consensus. Ahead of the decision of the Administrative Board, Mr Zinglersen appeared before the ITRE Committee of the European Parliament (3 December 2024), answering questions from its members.
