The fifth annual Market Monitoring Report produced by the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER) presents the key insights and recommendations, as well as four thematic volumes on:
- the Electricity and Gas Retail Markets;
- Consumer Protection and Empowerment;
- the Electricity Wholesale Market;
- the Gas Wholesale Market.
These volumes provide a comprehensive assessment of developments in the electricity and gas sectors and on the progress towards the completion of the internal energy market (IEM).
The Report shows that the declining wholesale prices for gas and electricity have finally resulted in lower energy costs
for EU consumers. This is an important benefit of a well-functioning IEM. In electricity, however, the total price EU
consumers pay has, on average, not decreased, due to the increase of a number of non-contestable charges in the
consumers’ energy bill. These charges relate, for example to the funding of capacity mechanisms, of the support for
renewable resources or other services.
The main recommendations for retail electricity market refer to facilitating the entry of new suppliers into the market and ensuring broader choice for consumers by removing entry barriers, as well as ensuring effective and targeted protection of vulnerable consumers.
Source : http://www.acer.europa.eu