Moldova, Norway, Turkey and Ukraine join Energy Community

Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova and Norway were admitted to the Energy Community as Observers at the Ministerial meeting of the organisation that took place in Skopje today. Commissioner Piebalgs declared “The European Union’s voice is clear: we will act to bring our relations with key countries onto a legal basis so as to reinforce our common interests”. He underlined the fact that eventual membership was on offer “We want the European Union to share the benefits of the internal energy market as well as to underpin our commitment to our partners, and secure energy supplies”, he said.

The Energy Community Treaty is the legal vehicle for creating a wider European Energy market. It entered into force earlier this year, after the last country to ratify it – Montenegro – did so last month. Observership is the first stage to eventual membership in the Energy Community and its further extension is not ruled out.

The Energy Community is consciously modelled on the European Coal and Steel Community Treaty that was the basis for the European Union. It is open to any country wishing to accept the European Union’s energy market rules and that has direct physical links to the European Union electricity and gas grids. Present members are the European Union (25 Member States), Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, UNMIK – Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria and Romania.