June 26 (SeeNews) - The Energy Community secretariat said it continues a preliminary dispute settlement procedures opened against Albania in January 2018 over the lack of effective unbundling of the electricity distribution system operator OSHEE.
“Albania was not able to remedy the arguments raised in the secretariat’s opening letter as regards the failure to comply with its obligations under the Energy Community Treaty,” the secretariat of the Vienna-based organization said in a statement last week.
The country has not correctly transposed the requirements for unbundling of electricity distribution system operators into national legislation and has not taken measures to effectively implement legal and functional unbundling of OSHEE, the secretariat said, noting that the completed registration of separate legal entities responsible for distribution and supply in Albania still does not sufficiently put in place effective operation of de facto unbundled companies.
“Only when separated from other segments of the energy supply chain can distribution system operators act independently and consumers benefit from greater choice of electricity supply companies, which in turn offer improved services at a fair price,” the secretariat said.
In April 2018, OSHEE said it has successfully concluded the unbundling of its operations by registering three separate companies, thus meeting one of the main requests of the Energy Community secretariat.