Existing restrictions in the country’s wholesale electricity markets, or target model, will gradually be lifted over the next year or two, at the latest, according to a Market Reform Plan submitted by the Greek government to the European Commission.

The plan to is intended to determine whether the country’s natural gas-fired electricity producers can fully recover costs in a liberalized market.

Greek officials are seeking to prove that, once all wholesale market restrictions have been lifted, natural gas-fired power stations will need Brussels-approved support mechanisms in the form of a strategic reserve, until the end of 2022, and a permanent Capacity Remuneration Mechanism (CRM) from 2023 onwards.

The Greek government forwarded a draft of the country’s Market Reform Plan to the European Commission in mid-June, while Brussels has since responded with an initial set of questions seeking clarification.

The first wholesale electricity market restriction expected to be lifted, probably within the next few months, concerns a 20 percent limit on futures contracts established by suppliers with a market share exceeding 4 percent.

Following up, officials are then expected to lift upper and lower limits imposed on offers.