Position papers and policy statements from the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity /publications/position-papers/ en-us info@entsoe.eu info@entsoe.eu Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:37:22 +0200 Jekyll 4.4.1 /assets/graphics/layout/entso-e-logo.png /publications/position-papers/ ENTSO-E’s work on Market Design Options for Congestion Management sets out a forward-looking view on how market design can support the reduction and efficient management of congestions. It highlights the need for a closer alignment between market design and the physics of the power system, so to ensure secure operation in an increasingly complex energy system while reducing system costs borne by consumers. Increasing renewables deployment, electrification of demand and grid buildout are essential to ensure affordable, secure and carbon-neutral energy. However, as Europe progresses in this transition, grid congestion is increasing in frequency, variability, scale and complexity. Addressing these... Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:09:50 +0200 /2026/06/10/managing-grid-congestion-in-the-energy-transition-entso-e-position-paper-on-market-design-options/ /2026/06/10/managing-grid-congestion-in-the-energy-transition-entso-e-position-paper-on-market-design-options/ Position Papers positions ENTSO-E has published its position, including recommendations, on the European Commission’s Grids Package proposal. ENTSO-E welcomes the recognition of the importance of electricity grids to meet EU security, climate and competitiveness objectives. At the same time, we believe the Package should focus more clearly on the real implementation barriers to timely grid infrastructure delivery, where European planning is not the bottleneck. Grid development requires a plurality of perspectives. ENTSO‑E plays a key bridging role: we connect TSO local system knowledge with a coordinated European view. Over the past 15 years, this has allowed us to deliver : 16,000 km of new interconnections – roughly the distance between Brussels and Sydney 23 EU countries adding at least one interconnection with a neighbour The European Grids Package addresses key areas of ENTSO-E’s expertise, including pan-European network... Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:14:20 +0100 /2026/03/24/entso-e-position-including-recommendations-on-the-european-commission-s-grids-package-proposal/ /2026/03/24/entso-e-position-including-recommendations-on-the-european-commission-s-grids-package-proposal/ Position Papers positions ENTSO-E has published a new policy paper on forward electricity markets calling for sound economic justification to support hedging in forward electricity markets.  The paper presents transmission system operators’ (TSOs) proposal reversing the current hedging analysis approach as described in Article 30 of the Forward Capacity Allocation (FCA) Regulation - Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/1719. TSOs propose that, instead of mandatory long-term transmission rights (LTTR) issuance, National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) should first assess hedging needs and opportunities within each bidding zone, considering both power and non-power products, before deciding upon which financial instruments to be used in order to support forward electricity markets.  To support market participants’ hedging in long-term markets, NRAs should establish a harmonised method... Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:07:59 +0100 /2026/02/17/entso-e-publishes-policy-paper-on-forward-markets-hedging-analysis/ /2026/02/17/entso-e-publishes-policy-paper-on-forward-markets-hedging-analysis/ Position Papers positions ENTSO-E has published a position paper on the revision of the EU Public Procurement Directives, outlining what is needed to ensure procurement rules support, rather than slow down, the delivery of critical grid infrastructure. The paper sets out fourteen targeted reforms focused on making grid procurement more strategic, improving flexibility for complex projects, and reducing administrative burden while strengthening digital tools and data governance.  These recommendations are part of ENTSO-E’s contribution to the European Commission’s consultation on the future of EU public procurement.  A fit-for-purpose framework is therefore essential to ensure TSOs can procure strategically, efficiently and securely, while still respecting transparency, equal treatment and competition.... Wed, 28 Jan 2026 13:38:09 +0100 /2026/01/28/entso-e-publishes-a-position-paper-on-the-revision-of-the-eu-public-procurement-directives/ /2026/01/28/entso-e-publishes-a-position-paper-on-the-revision-of-the-eu-public-procurement-directives/ Position Papers positions To support the Clean Industrial Deal, and ensure large-scale integration of new components with necessary immunity and system-supportive behaviour, TSOs are recommended to take action to update national technical connection requirements as soon as possible to support EU-wide power system stability needs identified by ACER, the Grid Connection European Stakeholder Committee, and the EC (European Commission)-organized “roundtable discussions on sustainable integration of data centres in the energy system”. National requirements should be updated following the latest available technical discussions.  Why is updating connection requirements critical for Europe’s green transition?  Europe is accelerating its green transition, but insufficient or outdated technical rules for connecting... Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:07:08 +0100 /2025/12/22/entso-e-position-on-the-need-for-national-connection-requirements-to-ensure-eu-power-system-stability/ /2025/12/22/entso-e-position-on-the-need-for-national-connection-requirements-to-ensure-eu-power-system-stability/ Position Papers positions Flexibility from renewable energy sources (RES) is essential to ensure a secure, efficient, and resilient European power system as the share of renewables continues to grow. ENTSO-E advocates for unlocking the full flexibility potential of RES, particularly during periods of high generation and low demand. This requires improving the observability and controllability of RES assets and implementing market incentives that reward system-friendly behaviour. To achieve this, ENTSO-E calls for: The rollout of smart and granular metering systems to make assets observable; Standardised control interfaces and data exchange between plant operators, Balance Responsible Parties, and system operators; Financial and regulatory frameworks that encourage RES to adjust generation dynamically and... Tue, 18 Nov 2025 14:15:00 +0100 /2025/11/18/entso-e-position-paper-on-flexibility-from-renewable-energy-sources-res/ /2025/11/18/entso-e-position-paper-on-flexibility-from-renewable-energy-sources-res/ Position Papers positions Robust electricity grid infrastructure is critical for the European Union to meet its 2030–2050 climate and energy goals and to reduce Europe’s dependency on imports of energy. ENTSO-E advocates for timely investments in grid infrastructure based on established EU policy goals to create value for society and save money in the future, both in the form of keeping tariff levels as low as possible, and in contributing to secure and reliable supply for existing and new demand. To make these investments a reality, ENTSO-E supports stable, forward-looking regulatory frameworks that provide Transmission System Operators (TSOs), with the prospect of obtaining... Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:07:04 +0200 /2025/07/15/entso-e-position-paper-on-financeability-and-affordability-for-a-secure-energy-transition/ /2025/07/15/entso-e-position-paper-on-financeability-and-affordability-for-a-secure-energy-transition/ Position Papers positions Following the publication of its Offshore Roadmap 2025 on 30 May, ENTSO-E today released a position paper exploring policy options for cost-sharing of offshore grid projects focussing on hybrid infrastructure, which combines the purposes of interconnection and system integration of offshore generation. This new publication supports the European Commission’s ambition to integrate offshore renewable energy at scale, with targets reaching up to 365 GW of offshore capacity by 2050 - as outlined in the EU Strategy on offshore renewable energy (November 2020) and builds on the European Commission’s guidance on cross-border cost-sharing published in June 2024. As offshore renewable energy... Wed, 09 Jul 2025 11:59:28 +0200 /2025/07/09/position-paper-on-cost-sharing-offshore-grid-projects/ /2025/07/09/position-paper-on-cost-sharing-offshore-grid-projects/ Position Papers positions In May 2021, European Commission presented its proposal for a Regulation establishing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) aiming to put a fair price on the carbon emitted during the production of carbon intensive goods originating in a third country that are entering the customs territory of the Union, and to encourage cleaner industrial production in non-EU countries. ENTSO-E supports the general principles and objectives of the CBAM. There are however still many questions and concerns that would jeopardize the current reporting obligations of the transitional period as well as the full implementation of the CBAM regulation as of 1... Tue, 10 Jun 2025 15:04:13 +0200 /2025/06/10/entso-e-position-on-the-revision-of-the-carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism/ /2025/06/10/entso-e-position-on-the-revision-of-the-carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism/ Position Papers positions ENTSO-E has released a new Position Paper on Vendor Agnostic Solutions (VAS) for Next-Generation Control Room Eco-Systems, outlining the vision for modular, interoperable control centre eco-systems that address the growing complexity of European power systems and the limitations of legacy SCADA/EMS infrastructures. Driven by the RDIC WG5 Task Force on VAS, this initiative brings together forward-thinking TSOs committed to evolving from the existing control centers tools, fragmented interfaces, and inflexible system architectures. The paper highlights that no single vendor can meet the growing needs of TSOs in the digital age, especially as grid operations increasingly rely on real-time data, automation,... Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:42:10 +0200 /2025/06/05/entso-e-position-paper-on-vendor-agnostic-solutions-vas-for-next-generation-control-room-eco-systems/ /2025/06/05/entso-e-position-paper-on-vendor-agnostic-solutions-vas-for-next-generation-control-room-eco-systems/ Position Papers positions ENTSO-E welcomes the European Commission’s report on the assessment of possibilities of streamlining and simplifying the process for Members States to apply for a capacity mechanism, the proposal for simplified State aid procedures for capacity mechanisms, and recommendations to update and simplify the European Resource Adequacy Assessments (ERAA) methodology. As the body responsible for delivering the ERAA and drawing on insights from four editions to date, ENTSO-E outlines in its reaction paper key principles to ensure the methodology remains feasible, robust, and valuable to Member States. These include limiting unnecessary complexity, focusing on key uncertainties, and safeguarding the complementarity between the ERAA... Tue, 29 Apr 2025 14:03:32 +0200 /2025/04/29/entso-e-reaction-to-the-european-commission-s-report-on-streamlining-capacity-mechanisms/ /2025/04/29/entso-e-reaction-to-the-european-commission-s-report-on-streamlining-capacity-mechanisms/ Position Papers positions ENTSO-E welcomes the European Commission’s ambition to accelerate the clean energy transition through the proposed Clean Industrial State Aid Framework (CISAF), which rightly recognises the need to boost investments in decarbonised demand, electricity grids, and system infrastructure. In its response, ENTSO-E calls for leveraging the existing legislation, notably the Clean Energy Package and Electricity Market Design reform, to ensure a stable and predictable regulatory environment. Furthermore, ENTSO-E underlines the importance of preserving the complementarity between the European and National Resource Adequacy Assessments (ERAA & NRAAs), and ensuring that revised ERAA methodologies remain functional, not overly complex. As further detailed in... Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:40:34 +0200 /2025/04/25/entso-e-response-to-the-european-commission-s-consultation-on-the-draft-clean-industrial-state-aid-framework-cisaf/ /2025/04/25/entso-e-response-to-the-european-commission-s-consultation-on-the-draft-clean-industrial-state-aid-framework-cisaf/ Position Papers positions Capacity Mechanisms (CMs), which have been part of the electricity market design in several European countries, seek to ensure resource adequacy by providing incentives to capacity providers – namely generation, storage, and demand side response assets. These mechanisms help address the risk of supply shortages, especially during periods of peak demand or system stress. While CMs were formerly seen as last resort and temporary tools, the recent European Electricity Market Design (EMD) reform recognised them as a possible structural element of electricity markets. However, further improvements are needed in the European regulatory framework to facilitate a simpler and quicker process for introducing,... Wed, 16 Apr 2025 18:28:18 +0200 /2025/04/16/entso-e-paper-on-the-role-of-capacity-mechanisms-to-enable-a-secure-and-competitive-energy-transition/ /2025/04/16/entso-e-paper-on-the-role-of-capacity-mechanisms-to-enable-a-secure-and-competitive-energy-transition/ Position Papers positions The position paper “Recovering power system resilience in case of system splits for a future-ready decarbonised system” and the supporting technical report recap the challenges already highlighted in the report “Updated frequency stability analysis in long term Scenarios, relevant solutions, and mitigation measures” and propose decision-making information and a roadmap to the foundational measures as part of a step-by-step, non-regret approach to deliver secure and efficient operation for a future-ready decarbonised system. It also proposed a methodology to assess long-term inertia needs, offering a valuable tool to study the evolution of this phenomenon in the planning processes. The transition to... Thu, 23 Jan 2025 16:09:15 +0100 /2025/01/23/entso-e-releases-the-latest-work-from-project-inertia-which-studies-the-evolution-of-the-inertia-levels-in-the-long-term-horizons-in-the-continental-europe-synchronous-area-and-the-challenges-emerging-from-their-decrease/ /2025/01/23/entso-e-releases-the-latest-work-from-project-inertia-which-studies-the-evolution-of-the-inertia-levels-in-the-long-term-horizons-in-the-continental-europe-synchronous-area-and-the-challenges-emerging-from-their-decrease/ Position Papers positions TSOs’ grid investments are in general covered by long-standing EU and national legal and regulatory frameworks. The concept of anticipatory investments, introduced by the Electricity Market Design Reform, open up some areas of uncertainty and raises some questions for TSOs. In this respect ENTSO-E and its members strongly welcome the upcoming European Commission’s guidance following the Grid Action Plan on the treatment of anticipatory investments. In this position paper ENTSO-E would like to share its views on said upcoming EC guidance with policy makers, regulators and all stakeholders. In the document, ENTSO-E proposes a definition of anticipatory investments while sharing... Mon, 09 Dec 2024 17:56:08 +0100 /2024/12/09/entso-e-position-on-anticipatory-investments/ /2024/12/09/entso-e-position-on-anticipatory-investments/ Position Papers positions The position paper outlines the European strategy for data, with a focus on fostering data sharing and innovation in the energy sector to support the green energy transition. The common energy data space promotes secure, interoperable, and privacy-focused data sharing among stakeholders while ensuring data sovereignty and aligning with European values and rights. By enabling collaboration, these data spaces create a unified market for data, encouraging new services and cross-sector innovation critical for Europe’s digital transformation and competitiveness. Key highlights include: Governance Framework: Establishing roles, rules, and interoperable standards for stakeholders to foster trust and collaboration. Legislative Background: Overview of pivotal regulations such as the Data Act and Interoperable Europe Act, aimed at seamless data exchange and data sovereignty. Data Space Implementation: Guidance on operational principles,... Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:57:14 +0100 /2024/11/06/data-spaces-in-the-energy-sector-enabling-the-green-energy-transition/ /2024/11/06/data-spaces-in-the-energy-sector-enabling-the-green-energy-transition/ Position Papers positions ENTSO-E recommends anticipated implementation of connection requirements for Power-to-Gas assets by Member States  The energy transition will happen through combined efforts from all parts of the energy system. These collective efforts require to join forces and work together towards a common objective. The Transmission System Operators (TSOs) are committed to use the solutions available to prepare the grids for the uptake of low-carbon solutions.  ENTSO-E publishes a position paper recommending an accelerated implementation of connection requirements for Power-to-Gas demand facilities. This approach encourages Member States to take a pro-active approach in implementing technical requirements to accommodate fast and smoothly future connections for... Tue, 17 Sep 2024 15:59:49 +0200 /2024/09/17/entso-e-position-on-urgent-connection-requirements-for-power-to-gas-demand-facilities/ /2024/09/17/entso-e-position-on-urgent-connection-requirements-for-power-to-gas-demand-facilities/ Position Papers positions Since the publication of the ENTSO-E position paper “European Electricity Transmission Grids and the Energy Transition: Why remuneration frameworks need to evolve” in 2021, there have been changes in context with recent global events, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which have increased energy costs and disrupted supply chains as well as skilled labor availabilities. Despite supply chain issues and labor shortages, TSO investments have accelerated and increased intensively. The latest available paper presents the evolution by addressing the changing context of TSOs financial challenges and regulatory frameworks in a more detailed and urgent manner. Building... Fri, 02 Aug 2024 09:25:34 +0200 /2024/08/02/regulatory-systems-of-eu-electricity-transmission-system-operators-need-to-be-adapted-to-ensure-that-the-massive-grid-transmission-investment-plans-can-be-financed/ /2024/08/02/regulatory-systems-of-eu-electricity-transmission-system-operators-need-to-be-adapted-to-ensure-that-the-massive-grid-transmission-investment-plans-can-be-financed/ Position Papers positions In anticipation of the European Commission’s impact assessment of potential solutions for the forward Electricity markets, as mandated in Article 9 of the Electricity Markey Design Regulation 2024/1747, ENTSO-E is publishing its views on models for forward markets. ENTSO-E proposes the following 2 models: Model 1: Enhanced auction design based on options, with increased auction frequency and extended product maturities. Model 2: Advanced auction design based on obligations, which, in addition to Model 1 features, includes Synthetic Long-Term Transmission Rights with full financial firmness and as an obligation. This publication represents ENTSO-E’s commitment to facilitate forward-thinking solutions in the energy... Tue, 16 Jul 2024 16:13:11 +0200 /2024/07/16/entso-e-position-on-forward-markets/ /2024/07/16/entso-e-position-on-forward-markets/ Position Papers positions To accelerate the development of RES and carbon-neutral generation required for the energy transition, public support schemes will likely continue to play a role in the coming years. Two-sided Contracts for Difference (CfDs) have recently become increasingly popular, particularly for offshore wind tenders. In the wake of increased energy prices as of 2021, two-sided CfDs may also be used to reduce impact on end-consumers while providing long-term investment signals to developers. The provisionally agreed legislative proposals for the reform of European Electricity Market Design, which will enter into force this year, prescribe two-sided CfDs as the default option for Member... Tue, 20 Feb 2024 18:09:09 +0100 /2024/02/20/position-paper-on-sustainable-contracts-for-difference-design/ /2024/02/20/position-paper-on-sustainable-contracts-for-difference-design/ Position Papers positions