The European Commission has warned Greece that further delays in the country’s implementation of the target model, aiming for market coupling, or harmonization of EU wholesale markets, may lead to infringement procedures against the country, sources have informed.

Lender technocrats, currently in Athens for a series of meetings with government, institutional and market officials, have paid particular attention to target model issues as concerns of further delays in the country’s market coupling implementation plan have abounded.

According to Greece’s power grid operator IPTO, the country’s market coupling platform is expected to be ready by the end of the year. However, the schedule of a tender concerning the procurement of required software suggests the project will not be fully functional any sooner than mid-2020.

Already behind by a number of years, Greece’s target model was given an April 1, 2019 implementation date through the country’s bailout terms.

Besides the target model, lender technocrats, on their current visit, have also held talks on other local energy sector matters such as the main power utility PPC’s ongoing bailout-required disinvestment of lignite units as well as the completion of pending procedures concerning natural gas grid operator DESFA’s sale of a 66 percent stake to a consortium comprised of Italy’s Snam, Spain’s Enagás Internacional and Belgium’s Fluxys.