Who we are

The Energy Community fora meet once a year and serve as broad discussion platforms to explore legal, regulatory, and practical developments in areas of their concern (gas, electricity, oil, a just transition, competition, dispute resolution and law). 

The Energy Community Parliamentary Plenum brings together elected members of parliament from the Contracting Parties and the European Parliament. It meets once or twice a year and may adopt resolutions on issues falling within the scope of the Treaty.

The Energy Community also organises ad-hoc workshops to address emerging issues in particular policy areas. Furthermore, the Energy Community maintains regular engagement with numerous stakeholders, including civil society, investors, and donors.

 The Ministerial Council is the institution representing the governments of the Parties to the Energy Community Treaty. It is the highest decision-making body of the Energy Community and convenes at least once a year to set key priorities and steer the implementation of the Treaty.

The Permanent High-Level Group meets three or four times a year. It prepares MC meetings and can identify and prepare items for MC adoption without further discussion—these are known as “A points.” The PHLG can also take decisions, including on the adoption of new legislation, if so empowered by the Ministerial Council.

Various policy-specific groups bring in targeted expertise on specific issues related to the Treaty. They provide in-depth, evidence-based recommendations, with their work feeding into Energy Community decision-making.

In addition, specialised working groups are mandated to concentrate on key issues such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, supply security, electricity distribution, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. These expert groups identify urgent policy challenges and initiate discussions that lead to the development or revision of relevant legislation.
 

The Energy Community Secretariat, based in Vienna, is responsible for supporting day-to-day activities and monitoring the implementation of the Treaty. It assists in organising all institutional meetings, including the MC and PHLG, and coordinates events on policy issues related to the acquis. The Secretariat facilitates cooperation between the Energy Community’s bodies, ensuring that activities align with the organization’s goals. The Secretariat also offers technical assistance to the contracting parties. Under the dispute settlement mechanism, the Secretariat may bring cases of non-compliance with Energy Community law to the MC's attention.

The ECRB is the independent regional body of energy regulators in the Energy Community and beyond. It serves as the coordination platform for the exchange of knowledge and the development of best practices for electricity and gas market regulation in the Energy Community. ECRB activities focus on coordinating regulatory positions, harmonizing rules across borders, and sharing regulatory knowledge. The permanent staff members of the ECRB form a unit within the Secretariat.