EU policies increasing energy costs, EVIKEN tells Sefcovic

EU energy policies being implemented in Greece are increasing energy costs and blocking the liberalization of markets as a result of consequent market distortions, officials of EVIKEN, the Association of Industrial Energy Consumers, contended during a meeting in Athens yesterday with Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission vice president responsible for Energy Union.

The industrial consumer association representatives, who were joined at the meeting by members of SEV, the Hellenic Association of Industrialists, did not hesitate to frame the EU, noting that, in some cases, these unfavorable market developments are being tolerated by the European Commission.

The EVIKEN officials submitted a series of demands aimed at countering the market distortions, including the implementation of bilateral agreements and a decrease of natural gas distribution fee costs.

As for the electricity market, EVIKEN demands included an immediate start in the transition towards the target model, exemption of surcharges imposed on imported electricity, and interconnection upgrades.

For the natural gas market, EVIKEN demanded the cancellation of a distribution fee hike, the exclusion of EPA gas supply companies from gas auctions for as long as they remain subsidiaries of DEPA, the Public Gas Corporation, a doubling of the gas amounts auctioned, a reduction to the special consumption tax (EFK) imposed on gas, and reinforced and upgraded interconnections linking Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania.

Sefcovic, who was in Athens as part of a tour of European capitals to check on energy union progress of EU member states, also held separate meetings with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, energy minister Panos Skourletis, and other local officials.