Energy regulators to meet in Istanbul
Posted by meb at May 19th, 2007
The Sixth Investment and Regulations Conference of the Energy Regulators Regional Association (ERRA) is going to be held in Istanbul on May 21 and 22. The meeting will be opened by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül and is to be attended by many investors in addition to the representatives of the member countries. Emphasizing that the aim of the meeting is to attract foreign investors to the Turkish markets, “Turkey is lagging behind in energy privatizations when compared to other countries,” Head of the Turkey’s Energy Market Regulation Agency (EPDK) Yusuf Günay said. The conference traditionally has been organized in Budapest and has attracted over 200 participants annually. This year ERRA has decided to move the location and organize the conference in Turkey, as it is, according to ERRA’s Web site, ‘a country which is an active and strong member of the South East European Region.’
The Conference will feature the four major topics this year: regional energy markets; Regional energy security; electricity and gas market development; and renewables and energy efficiency.
Representatives of more than twenty countries including Russia, Ukraine, Macedonia, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia are going to attend the meetings. Other attendees in addition to these representatives include: the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) of the United States; the United States International Agency for Development (USAID); the European Commission; and firms interested in electricity distribution.
ERRA began as a cooperative exchange among 12 energy regulatory bodies. The main objective of ERRA is to increase exchange of information and experience among its members and to expand access to energy regulatory experience around the world.The U.S. National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), through a Cooperative Agreement with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has been providing technical forums, meetings and study tours for the energy regulators of the above region since 1999. During these meetings, the participants expressed the need for an association similar to NARUC that could offer a more formal platform for exchanging experiences and ideas to better learn from each other’s experiences. In 1999, an ad-hoc Steering Committee began development of the structural and operational elements of the future association, including its purpose and objectives. In December 2000, a Constitution was signed by 15 members that established the ERRA in Bucharest.
To date ERRA lists 22 Full, 4 Associate and 1 Affiliate Members. The Association was legally registered in Hungary in April 2001 and its Secretariat operates in Budapest. NARUC and USAID have been providing continuous support for the operation of the Association.
source: Turkish Daily News
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