(ANSAmed) - ALGIERS, APRIL 30 - Algeria, one of the energy
giants of the Mediterranean area with its natural gas and
hydrocarbon resources that fuel most of the industry of the
industrialised countries on the northern shore, formed an
authority in 2002 to watch over the sector. This authority,
'Commission de regulation de l'electricite' et du gaz' (CREG),
has three specific goals: controlling the public sector,
interacting with the gas and electricity market and verifying
the correct application of laws and regulations.
The projects the Algerian authority is currently working on, the commission's president Nadjib Otmane told Ansamed, include power generation using renewable sources. In fact, the national programme for the development of new energy sources, a government initiative, aims to make Algeria one of the largest power producers from renewable sources by 2030.
In its seven years of activity, Otmane continued, the CREG ''has gradually found its place in the institutional panorama, like the other interested parties. Work continues in a context of dialogue, to improve monitoring and control, including approval procedures, verifying the conduct and performance of operators. The goal,'' the president explained, ''is to increase efficiency in fuel and gas systems to guarantee high-quality services to consumers and meet their expectations.'' Otmane is clear about the impact of the Commission's work on consumers, underlining that legislation development for the sector in the past focuses on consumers and their protection.
These consumers, Otmane explained, have been given the right instruments to ''enable them to know their rights and duties,'' like the regulation regarding linking to the grid, registration and possible complaint procedures. Regarding regulators in the Mediterranean area, grouped in MEDREG, Nadjib Otmane is convinced that there are sufficient guarantees for the creation of a future Euro-Mediterranean energy market. ''Such a market cannot exists,'' he stressed, ''without a strong regional infrastructure for energy transport, which is generally a problem for the regulator. It also can't exist without involving other partners like carriers, energy suppliers and financial institutions.'' Focusing on the power of regulators in the region, Otmane points out that there are differences between them: ''the level of social-economic, political and administrative organisation and the strategic choices of each member state have a strong impact on the definition of these powers. Still, our mission and our guideline is to develop systems that regulate efficiently to the benefit of consumers, despite the existing differences.'' And the relation with MEDREG? ''Our organisation,'' Otmane replies, ''is mainly a forum for cooperation between regulators, meant to develop coherent and harmonised regulations that encourage investments, in order to guarantee continuity of supply and the best services to all consumers.'' (ANSAmed).
The projects the Algerian authority is currently working on, the commission's president Nadjib Otmane told Ansamed, include power generation using renewable sources. In fact, the national programme for the development of new energy sources, a government initiative, aims to make Algeria one of the largest power producers from renewable sources by 2030.
In its seven years of activity, Otmane continued, the CREG ''has gradually found its place in the institutional panorama, like the other interested parties. Work continues in a context of dialogue, to improve monitoring and control, including approval procedures, verifying the conduct and performance of operators. The goal,'' the president explained, ''is to increase efficiency in fuel and gas systems to guarantee high-quality services to consumers and meet their expectations.'' Otmane is clear about the impact of the Commission's work on consumers, underlining that legislation development for the sector in the past focuses on consumers and their protection.
These consumers, Otmane explained, have been given the right instruments to ''enable them to know their rights and duties,'' like the regulation regarding linking to the grid, registration and possible complaint procedures. Regarding regulators in the Mediterranean area, grouped in MEDREG, Nadjib Otmane is convinced that there are sufficient guarantees for the creation of a future Euro-Mediterranean energy market. ''Such a market cannot exists,'' he stressed, ''without a strong regional infrastructure for energy transport, which is generally a problem for the regulator. It also can't exist without involving other partners like carriers, energy suppliers and financial institutions.'' Focusing on the power of regulators in the region, Otmane points out that there are differences between them: ''the level of social-economic, political and administrative organisation and the strategic choices of each member state have a strong impact on the definition of these powers. Still, our mission and our guideline is to develop systems that regulate efficiently to the benefit of consumers, despite the existing differences.'' And the relation with MEDREG? ''Our organisation,'' Otmane replies, ''is mainly a forum for cooperation between regulators, meant to develop coherent and harmonised regulations that encourage investments, in order to guarantee continuity of supply and the best services to all consumers.'' (ANSAmed).
