The Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Eduard Stavytskyi and Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Janez Kopač have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on “Establishing an Implementation Partnership between the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine and the Secretariat of the Energy Community”.
By signing the Memorandum, “Ukraine confirms its commitment to transpose into its national legal framework and fully implement Energy Community legislation”, according to a press release from the Energy Community.
Ukraine and the Secretariat of the Energy Community “have agreed to set up an effective implementation mechanism, including the establishment of working groups for amending and drafting legislation to transpose the Energy Community law”.
Following the signing ceremony, Minister Stavytskyi said: “The Ukrainian side has gratefully accepted the obligation of honorary presidency in the Energy Community in 2014. The priorities of Ukraine’s presidency in 2014 will be the formulation of proposals to renew the Energy Community Treaty. Its new edition would largely contribute integrating efforts of the Energy Community States in the issues of energy development, increasing the competitiveness of companies in the market, providing more effective mechanisms for mutual assistance and equal opportunities to use the European Union tools to achieve common goals taking into consideration the interests of Ukraine.”
The Energy Community Secretariat Director Janez Kopač emphasized: “Today’s signature of the Memorandum is a clear example of the constant desire of Ukraine to contribute to the Energy Community process, despite the current turmoil. Since its accession to the Energy Community in 2011, Ukraine has made valuable progress towards meeting its international obligations under the Energy Community Treaty. I believe this process will now continue at a faster pace. I would also like to stress the importance of this clear message towards reforms in the energy sector in Ukraine.”
The Energy Community is an international organisation whose mission it is to extend the EU internal energy market to South East Europe and beyond on the basis of a legally binding framework. As of December 2013, the Energy Community had eight Contracting Parties: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine. Georgia, Armenia, Norway and Turkey are all Observers. Georgia is presently in the process of joining the Energy Community as a full member. Seventeen European Union Member States have the status of Participants.