OREANDA-NEWS. June 17, 2016. The European Commission, national energy system regulators and energy stakeholders have met at the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) Annual Conference.

At ACER's fifth Annual Conference held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on 16 June attendees discussed progress made by the agency so far, and its future role.

The Conference aimed to define how ACER can best contribute to the goal of completing a well-functioning, competitive, sustainable and secure internal energy market and creating Energy Union.

Later this year the European Commission is expected to publish plans for a new electricity market design which will aim to improve the current functioning of the market for a smoother integration of renewable energy, to attract investment and to help consumers take an active role in energy consumption.

At the conference, attendees agreed that ACER's role will need to progress with the forthcoming changes, alongside the EU's climate and energy goals. In particular, the rising levels of renewable energy are leading to a more decentralised and increasingly interconnected energy system, which unlocks opportunities but at the same time poses coordination challenges.