Energy Community's experts to visit Ukraine by March

The Energy Community is to send a group of experts to Ukraine by the end of February, according to Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Slavtcho Neykov. "I'm going to send a team of experts. We need to agree the timing with the [Ukrainian] Energy and Coal Industry Ministry, but I hope it will happen by the end of February. We will examine how Ukraine is implementing the commitments undertaken while joining the Community," he said in Kyiv on Thursday.

Neykov is scheduled to meet with Deputy Energy and Coal Industry Minister Volodymyr Makukha on Friday, Jan. 27, to discuss the fact that Ukraine provides insufficient information to the Community.

In addition, Neykov and Makukha are to discuss the implementation by Ukraine of the European legislation, in particular, the classification of companies by activity (production/manufacturing, transportation, delivery), access to the gas transport system, and the development of a national energy efficiency plan.

Neykov also said that he plans to establish the Day of Ukraine in the Community. "Usually, such Days[-related events] are attended by a country delegation led by the energy minister, and it also includes businessmen and other ministers," he said.

According to Neykov, the Energy Community does not plan to reschedule the deadlines for the implementation by Ukraine of the Community's legislation. The deadlines of some commitments undertaken by Ukraine expired on Jan. 1, 2012, however, they have not been fulfilled.

In October 2005, the European Community and Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo on behalf of Kosovo signed the Treaty establishing the Energy Community. Following the ratification and notification process, the Treaty entered into force on July 1, 2006.

The objective of the document is actual expansion of the EU energy market to Eastern and Southern Europe.

The Energy Community has developed common legislative principles for the operation of markets of natural gas, oil and electricity.

Moldova joined the Energy Community in May 2010, Ukraine in September. Georgia, Norway and Turkey participate in the Energy Community's work as observers.