The Greek government and European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition appear close to reaching an agreement that would give the country’s independent electricity suppliers access to state-controlled power utility PPC’s lignite-based production through a transitional mechanism running until 2023, when most of the utility’s lignite units are expected to cease operating.

This prospect comes hot on the heels of an agreement between Athens and Brussels enabling extensions of Greece’s demand response mechanism and transitory flexibility remuneration mechanism (TFRM).

PPC has monopolized Greece’s lignite sources and generation, but an agreement offering lignite access for all would open the door for independent suppliers as well as industry.

For quite some time, the DG-Comp has criticized PPC for not complying with a European Court decision requiring lignite access to third parties.

Settlement of the lignite dispute would leave just one pending energy-sector matter, the target model’s implementation.

Talks between Athens and Brussels on Greece’s energy sector matters have dragged on for at least seven months.

Athens and Brussels also appear to have drawn closer for an agreement on how lignite-based electricity will be priced.