1. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
The right to access electricity in rural areas
Sonja Maria Protic, MSc
Institute of Public Social Responsibility, Vienna, Austria
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2. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
OVERVIEW
EU Legislation
EU Primary Law
EU Secondary Law
National Legislation
National Primary Law
National Secondary Law
Implementing Legislation at Federal State Level
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3. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
EU-LEGISLATION (1)
Energy supply is a service of general public interest (SGI)
SGIs: Services, which are subject to public regulation to meet public needs
Services can be split into those with and those without economic interest:
SGEIs
SGNEIs
Services of general economic interest
Services of general non economic interest
Market liberalisation
Public Service Obligations (PSO)
Specified and realized by the Member States
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4. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
EU-LEGISLATION (2)
Additional Protocol 26, Treaty on theFunctioning of the European Union:
„[...] a high level of quality, safety and affordability, equaltreatment and
thepromotion of universal access and of userrights.“
Directiveconcerningcommonrulesfortheinternalmarket in electricity (2009/72/EC),
Art. 3:
“Member States shall ensure that all household customers [...] enjoy universal
service, that is the right to be supplied with electricity of a specified quality
within their territoryat reasonable, easily and clearly comparable, transparent
and non-discriminatory prices. [...]
[...] MemberStates [...] shalltakemeasures to protect final customers in
remoteareas.“
Principle of subsidiarity Differences among the Member States in terms of quality
level, sectors concerned, organisation and terminology
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5. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
AUSTRIANLEGISLATION (1)
Federal Act Providing New Rules for the Organisation of the Electricity Sector
(ElWOG 2010 [Electricity Act 2010])
5. Public Service Obligations
”(2) The implementing legislation shall provide that the following public service
obligations be imposed upon electricity undertakings in the general economic
interest:
1. to perform the obligations imposed upon them by law in the public interest;
[...] ”
The implementing legislation implements those issues in greater detail (e.g. they
name a BASIC SUPPLY of public household customers.)
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6. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
AUSTRIANLEGISLATION (2)
77. Suppliers of Last Resort
“(1) Electricity traders and other suppliers whose function includes supply to
household consumers [...]shall be obliged, at their general terms and
conditions in force and at these rates, to deliver electricity to consumers [...]
that claim their right to be supplied with electricity (obligation to provide
universal service). [...]
(2) The rates for supply of last resort to consumers as defined in 1 para. 1
item 2 Consumer Protection Act may not exceed the rates at which most of
their customers that are consumers in the meaning of 1 para. 1 item 2
Consumer Protection Act are supplied. [...] ”
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7. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
GERMAN LEGISLATION
Energiewirtschaftsgesetz (EnWG 2005 [Energy Act 2005])
36 Grundversorgungspflicht
„(1).[...]Die PflichtzurGrundversorgungbestehtnicht, wenn die Versorgungfür
das
EnergieversorgungsunternehmenauswirtschaftlichenGründennichtzumutba
rist.“
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8. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
CROATIANLEGISLATION (1)
Zakon o tržištu električneenergije(8. veljače 2013. godine)
Članak 5. InteresRepublikeHrvatske
„(2)
Osiguravanjedostatneproizvodnjeiisporukeelektričneenergijepotrebnezaživ
otiradgrađanateposlovanjeirazvojgospodarskihidruštvenihsubjekatainjihovaop
skrbaelektričnomenergijomnasiguran, pouzdanikvalitetannačin, porealnimcije
nama, kaoienergetskirazvoj, odinteresa je zaRepublikuHrvatsku.“
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9. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
CROATIANLEGISLATION (2)
Electricity supply of household customers is an universal serviceobligation (Art. 61)
Članak 48. Opskrbaelektričnomenergijomuokviruuniverzalneusluge
“(1)
Kupciuokviruuniverzalneuslugemorajubitiopskrbljenielektričnomenergijompropis
anekvalitetekoja se naplaćujesukladnotarifnimmetodologijama. [...]
(3)
VladaRepublikeHrvatskeiAgencijaćeosiguratiraspoloživostuniverzalneusl
ugenacijelompodručjuRepublikeHrvatskeiuzetiuobziropskrbljivačesaznačajni
mudjelomnatržištuelektričneenergijeuRepubliciHrvatskojupogledubrojakrajnjihk
upacaiprodajeelektričneenergije.”
Law of Energy (Zakonoenergiji, 2012): Vulnerable customers (Članak 39)
The definition of a vulnerable customer does not include customers in remote
regions. The criteria for achieving the status of a vulnerable customer relate to the
level of income and health problems or disability.
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10. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
COMPARINGLEGISLATION

EU-legislationunderlinestheimportance of providing all customerswithaccess to
electricity, butdoesnotrecommendconcreteimplementationstrategies

The implementation - due to the principle of subsidiarity – is a responsibility of
the Member States

Compared with Austria, Croatia puts a lower emphasis on the right to access
electricity (in rural areas)
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11. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
STUDY -ISOLATEDSUPPLY SYSTEMS (1)
The study (in cooperationwith UNDP Croatia)came up witha methodology to
financiallycompareisolatedgridsolutions to an extension of
thepublicelectricitynetworkforremoteareas in Croatia.

An isolatedgridsupplyproves to beveryoften an economicallypreferableoption to
supplyremoteregionswithelectricityeven in thecase of shortdistancesbetweenthe
potential region and theexistinggrid.
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12. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
STUDY - ISOLATEDSUPPLY SYSTEMS (2)
Question:
Whynotsupporttheestablishment of self-sufficientregions in Croatia?
Article 3, Directive concerning measures to safeguard security of electricity supply
and infrastructure investment (2005/89/EC) refers to the importance of distributed
generation:
“1. Member States shall ensure a high level of security of electricity
supply by taking the necessary measures to facilitate a stable investment
climate [...]
(3) In implementing the measures referred to in paragraph 1, Member States
may also take account of:
[...]
(c) the importance of encouraging energy efficiency and the adoption of new
technologies, in particular demand management technologies, renewable
energy technologies and distributed generation”
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13. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
CONCLUSION
Croatian Energy Strategy
„The goal is to enable an equal quality of energy supply on the Croatian
territory. It is specially related to availability of networked energy forms, i.e.
electricity [...] in remote regions, such as islands and disclosed rural areas.“
Problem: Lack of investment in ruralelectrificationprojectsdue toinvestmentbarriers
AFRAMEWORKWITH AN EXTENSIVE SET OF MEASURESISNECESSARY TO
FACILITATERURALELECTRIFICATIONPROJECTS IN WB
Local cooperativescouldoffer an attractive alternative to publicsectormangementor
to principallyprofit-orientated private sectorinvolvement
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14. Sub-RegionalConference on Sustainable Energy in South-East Europe
Zagreb, Croatia, 10 December 2013
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
Sonja Maria Protic, MSc
Institut für Public Social Responsibility, Vienna, Austria
E mail: sonjamariaprotic@gmail.com
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