International fora
In addition to promoting activities at a European level, ERSE participates in several international fora, with the aim of promoting the exchange of ideas and experiences, in particular with the countries of the Mediterranean basin (through MEDREG), Latin America (through ARIAE) and of the Portuguese-speaking countries (through RELOP).
These fora explore themes related to the continuous evolution of the markets and of regulation, as a result of experience gathered through Iberian and European regulatory cooperation.
ARIAE
ARIAE (Iberian-American Energy Regulators’ Association) is a non-profit organization, which gathers the 20 Iberian-American countries and, promotes the exchange of knowledge between experts from the regulatory agencies. It provides, an opportunity to reflect on regulatory issues and the challenges facing the sector. ARIAE comprises a General Assembly, and Executive Board, a Secretariat and Working Groups.
In 2018, ARIAE created an international regulatory school: The Ibero-American School of Regulation.
From 2015 until 2017, ERSE was responsible for coordinating the Consumer Working Group, centred on vulnerable consumers, on informing and supporting the energy consumer and in the involvement of consumers in the liberalised energy market.
ERSE actively participates in ARIAE’s activities:
- Attends the General Assembly and Annual Conference
- Promotes the participation of its experts to accompany and support the working groups and the documents produced therein
- Coordinates those working groups, when nominated to do so.
MEDREG
MEDREG (Mediterranean Energy Regulators) is a non-profit association which gathers the regulatory agencies of countries in the Mediterranean basin, intent on promoting exchange of information and experiences between the several energy regulators, in order to develop an energy community in the Mediterranean region. Its structure is similar to that of other regulatory associations, with a General Assembly, Board, Secretariat and technical Working Groups.
ERSE has been vice-president (2014-2016) and president (2016-2018) of the association. During this latter period, MEDREG faced many challenges, including a new financial framework with the European Commission, the reorganisation and increase in capacity of the Secretariat, an alteration in MEDREG’s communication strategy and, in particular, a new strategy for activities to support the regulatory agencies.
During this period, ERSE was also co-chair of the Gas Working Group, a function which it held between 2014 and 2018. Since November 2018, ERSE co-chairs the Renewables Working Group.
ERSE actively participates in MEDREG’s activities:
- Attends the General Assembly and Annual Conference
- Promotes the participation of its experts to accompany and support the working groups and the documents produced therein
- Coordinates those working groups, when nominated to do so.
For more information, please visit the website
RELOP
RELOP (Portuguese-speaking Energy Regulators’ Association) was created in Lisbon, in 2008. It features energy regulators from Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe.
Previously an informal organization, in 2018 RELOP acquired the legal status of a non-profit organisation under Portuguese law. RELOP has the following goals:
- Incentivise technical cooperation between its members in the various energy sectors.
- Promote training of the formation of the human capital of the regulatory agencies and interchange of staff between its members
- Increase the exchange in knowledge, information, experiences and reports in the technical, economic, normative, and legal fields.
- Cooperate in projects of common interest to the members
- Cooperate with other organisations to achieve these goals
RELOP’s activities strive to create an active approach which promotes sharing and the entrepreneurship of its members, through the exchange of knowledge and of recent developments, but also through the reinforcement of the visibility of RELOP in international settings by engaging in new partnerships.
ERSE provides the permanent Secretariat for RELOP.
OECD
The OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) is an international organisation whose mission is to assist member-states to implement best policies.
Since 2017, ERSE is a member of the OECD’s Network of Economic Regulators (NER), a forum which brings together economic regulators from several sectors to share best practices (energy, communications, water and transportation sectors).