Legal framework

EU Network Codes

The network codes of the European Commission provide a comprehensive set of regulations for the electricity industry from the third EU internal energy market package. Network codes define and harmonise numerous regulations in the areas of market integration, grid system operation and grid connection and thus create the basis for an efficient, integrated internal electricity market across Europe. As legally binding EU regulations, the network codes are directly applicable in all EU member states. They contain numerous obligations for transmission system operators and other market participants that must be implemented within clearly defined periods. Implementation of the network codes therefore requires extensive cooperation between all players at both national and international level.  

Markt integration

The aim of the market codes is to promote the integration of the European electricity markets by ensuring uniform processes for calculating and allocating line capacities for all market time frames (futures market, day-ahead market, intraday market). In the area of balancing reserves, regulations, products and reasons for activation, as well as balancing energy management are to be harmonised. The activation of balancing energy is also to be coordinated across Europe.  

The market codes are as follows: 

• Capacity allocation and congestion management (CACM)
• Forward capacity allocation (FCA)
• Electricity balancing (EB)

Further information on the implementation work from the CACM Regulation and the FCA Regulation can be found in the section on the European internal electricity market.  

Further information on the implementation work from the EB Regulation can be found in the section on grid control.  

Grid connection 

The grid connection codes aim to create harmonised rules for grid connection of power-generating modules, demand facilities, distribution systems and high-voltage direct current transmission systems (HVDC systems). This applies to both the basic feature requirements of the installations and to their inspection. 

The grid connection codes are as follows: 

• Requirements for generators (RfG)
• Demand Connection Code (DCC)
• High voltage direct current (HVDC)

Grid operation

Operation codes aim to ensure network security across interconnected power systems and to create a framework for efficient grid use across national borders. 

The operation codes are as follows:

• System Operation Guideline (SOGL)
• Network Code on Emergency and Restoration (NC ER)

Clean energy for all Europeans package 

Against the backdrop of the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris and the global climate targets agreed there, the European Commission presented a comprehensive legislative package for the implementation of a true energy union in 2016, with the aim of driving forward the decarbonisation of the European energy industry, with consumers placed at the centre of the energy transition. Consumers should not only be able to actively participate in the electricity market, but, above all, they should be able to benefit to an even greater extent from a common European electricity market, by allowing electricity to be traded as freely as possible within the EU. The European TSOs play a key role in achieving these ambitious goals. 

You will find an overview of all regulations and guidelines from the Clean energy for all Europeans package listed here. Other EU legislation of relevance for APG can also be found at the end.  

Directives

Internal Electricity Market Directive 2019 

Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on common rules for the internal market in electricity and amending the Directive 2012/27/EU (recast) 

Renewable Energy Directive 2018 

Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (recast) 

Regulations

Electricity Trading Regulation 2019 

Regulation (EU) 2019/943 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the internal market for electricity Within the scope of this regulation, the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) issued an Action Plan in December 2020, in accordance with Article 15 for the step by step achievement of the requirements under Article 16(8). 

Risk-Preparedness in the Electricity Sector Regulation 

Regulation (EU) 2019/941 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on risk-preparedness in the electricity sector and repealing Directive 2005/89/EC 

ACER Regulation 2019 

Regulation (EU) 2019/942 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 establishing a European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (recast).

Other EU legislation

Guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure 

Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2013 on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure and repealing Decision No1364/2006/EC and amending Regulations (EC) No 713/2009, (EC) No 714/2009 and (EC) No 715/2009 

Regulation on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency (REMIT) 

Regulation (EU) No 1227/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency 

Transparency regulation 

Commission Regulation (EU) No 543/2013 of 14 June 2013 on submission and publication of data in electricity markets and amending Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 714/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council 

An overview of Austrian legislation is provided here:  

Electricity Industry and Organisation Act (Elektrizitätswirtschafts- und -organisationsgesetz, ElWOG) 

Electricity Industry and Organisation Act (Elektrizitätswirtschafts- und -organisationsgesetz 2010 – ElWOG 2010): Austrian federal act providing new rules for the organisation of the electricity industry  

Energy Control Act – E-Control Act 

Energy Control Act (E-Control Act - E-ControlG): Austrian federal act on the regulatory authority for electricity and natural gas 

System Charges Order (SNE-VO) 

Rules on systems charges are contained in the respective applicable Systems Charges Order (Systemnutzungsentgelte-Verordnung, SNE-VO). The charges on the price sheet correspond to the charges in the respective Systems Charges Order (SNE-VO) issued by the regulatory authority and applicable at that time. The Systems Charges Order (SNE-VO) is adjusted and published annually. You will find the current price sheet here (German only).  

General grid conditions 

The general grid conditions regulate the underlying legal relationship between APG and its partners with respect to grid connection and grid use, in addition to the statutory and regulatory requirements. 

• General Grid Terms and Conditions ALT - valid until 31 October 2024
• Information sheet on the amendment of the General Grid Terms and Conditions

Technical and organisation rules for grid system operators and users (TOR) 

The TOR constitute a multi-part and comprehensive set of national technical regulations developed by E-Control in collaboration with the grid operators. The content of this set of rules is aimed equally at the operators of all transmission grids and distribution networks and at all grid users. 

Synchronous Area Framework Agreement of ENTSO-E’s Regional Group Continental Europe (RG CE) 

Das Synchronous Area Framework Agreement (SAFA) is the current set of principles and rules for the operation of the Continental Europe Synchronous Area based on the System Operation Guideline. 

The ENTSO-E website contains information on all European obligations of transmission grid operators and on the obligations of the individual capacity calculation regions, arising both from the EU network codes and from the  Regulation (EU) 2019/943 on the internal market for electricity. There you will also find all methods approved by the regulatory authorities of the capacity calculation regions or ACER, which concern the community obligations of the TSOs (both at European and regional level). All public consultations concerning community obligations of the TSOs (both at European regional level) can be found in the ENTSO-E consultation hub.

National consultations pertaining only to APG or Austria can be found in the APG document hub. All methods and specifications upon which APG’s national obligations are based are also published there.

The purpose of the consultation processes is to publish documents produced by APG, such as framework documents, agreements, technical specifications, etc., and make them directly accessible to potential target groups.

Consultation process

As part of the consultation process, all market participants and interested parties are requested to submit comments or suggestions on the individual documents in a specified form (comments file, German only) by e-mail to APG's Market Operations Team (marketoperations@apg.at) during the consultation period. In the event of a subsequent revision of the documents, APG will summarise all comments received within the consultation period in full and with the name of the author on the APG homepage, publish them and take them into account in the revision of the document to be commented on or, if they are not taken into account, comment on them. 

In addition, when coordinating the contents, organisational-operational framework conditions with operational departments of APG, the regulatory authority, directly affected partners/TSOs (e.g. in the case of cross-border projects) or implementing companies (IT) will have to be taken into account.  The revised document will then be published again as a consolidated document.

Historical and ongoing consultations can be found here. If you have any questions, please contact the Market Operations Team at APG.

Over the last few years, a number of different regulations (in particular  Regulation (EU) No 714/2009 and Regulation (EU) No 543/2013) have entered into force at European level with a view to providing market-relevant data in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner. Austrian Power Grid AG is meeting these obligations and goes above and beyond the information required by law to give market players the highest possible degree of transparency. You will find all published data under Market transparency.