The country’s natural gas market is expected to be fully liberalized at the onset of 2018, when a bailout term to offer all consumer categories the right to choose their supplier should come into full effect.

Greece’s gas market reforms demand full liberalization for household consumers in 2018, following the market’s liberalization for industrial consumers in 2016 and the business sector in 2017.

Local authorities will need to swiften their actions to implement the needed legal framework for complete market liberalization. RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, will take on this task’s greatest load. The work that lies ahead promises to be a challenge for RAE given its wider energy market obligations and current understaffing problem.

Despite various difficulties encountered, RAE has managed to deliver on many of the regulatory framework revisions it has been tasked as part of the process leading towards a liberalized natural gas market.

The establishment of a code for natural gas supply to large-scale customers stands as one of the remaining tasks RAE must complete. Preliminary work has already been carried out. The authority recently decided to seek support from a consultant for this task. A budget of 24,800 euros, including 24 percent VAT, has been endorsed.