​PC_2016_G_03 - ACER consults stakeholders on the “congestion indicators” for gas interconnection points

​​Background

According to the European Commission Guidelines on Congestion Management Procedures, the Agency has to publish a yearly monitoring report on contractual congestion at the interconnection points of the gas transmission network.          

Paragraph 2.2.3.1 of the CMP guidelines specifies the conditions under which a specific CMP - i.e. the Firm day-ahead Use-It-Or-Lose-It mechanism (‘FDA UIOLI’) - has to be applied. The Agency has used each of these conditions as an indicator for contractual congestion. However, some stakeholders (including TSOs, NRAs and network users) have expressed doubts about whether the current “congestion indicators” correctly describe situations of real contractual congestion requiring the application of FDA UIOLI.           

Based on its 3-year experience in performing congestion analyses, the Agency is now inviting stakeholders to propose concrete suggestions to improve the “congestion indicators” and to comment on the FDA UIOLI mechanism.           

Requirements for additional specifications  

Measurable specifications that would facilitate the Agency’s operational work on congestion analyses should:

• appropriately re​flect / describe the circumstances that confirm or deny the persistent existence of contractual congestions at IP sides,
• be objective and replicable,
• be based on data which is, or will have to be, made available at least to the Agency in a timely manner, and
• be applicable - with reasonable efforts - across the EU.

Next to the abovementioned invitation, the questionnaire covers a number of smaller issues that were raised in the recommendations section of the latest Congestion Report of the Agency.

The Agency will present the results of this survey at the Madrid Forum (6 – 7 October 2016).         

Disclaimer regarding amendment of the CMP guidelines   

The CMP guidelines can be amended according to Article 23 of the Gas Regulation. However, by launching this exercise in the form of a survey, the Agency does not commit to proposing an amendment to the existing provisions on “congestion indicators”.