"On June 13, 2019, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine considered constitutional application submitted by 46 people’s deputies of Ukraine and found the incompliance of some provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On the National Energy and Public Utilities Regulatory Commission” (Law No. 1540) with the Constitution of Ukraine". The applicants argued that Ukrainian Law No. 1540, which defines the legal status of the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission (hereinafter referred to as NEURC), its objectives, functions, powers and the procedure of their implementation, violates the constitutional principles of separation of powers.

We are pleased to share our knowledge not only within professional community, but also on the pages of the corporate magazine “Energy Partner”, the second issue of which examined the digital era of energy as an opportunity and a challenge, analyzed the issues of concerns of the gas distribution industry in Ukraine, reviewed gas markets in Central and South-Eastern Europe on the path of transformation, explored the new hybrid energy system of the European Union etc.

On September 20, 2019, the German Federal Government approved the draft German Climate Action Plan, which provides for a comprehensive set of measures to achieve national climate protection goals. The total cost of the project is estimated to be over EUR 52 billion by 2025. Despite support of the draft plan by members of the so-called “Grand Coalition” (CDU / CSU / SPD), the document is sharply criticized by representatives of the Green Party and the right-wing party “Alternatives for Germany”, whose ranking are rising among German voters. If the former require decisive steps to limit CO2 emissions through administrative and fiscal mechanisms, the latter reject the climate issue as being contrary to the social and financial interests of the Germans.

On September 3-4, 2019 an international conference on the creation of a new configuration of energy systems on the basis of the so-called “Internet of energy” (mass digitalization and automation of energy management systems, which are increasingly occupied by renewable energy sources and distributed generation), in was held in Berlin, Germany. The participants of the conference identified some aspects of further development of energy systems in the EU. In October 2019, the European Commission will be finalizing a comprehensive review of the prospects for a single EU digital energy market, which will form the basis for the preparation of relevant draft regulatory acts in 2020. Currently, proposals are being prepared for the main areas of digital dissemination in the energy sector of the EU Member States, taking into account technical, market and regulatory aspects and proposing appropriate integrated solutions.

The Turkish government’s energy policy, aimed at diversifying natural gas sources and creating a highly consumable market in the country, is characterized by a decline in Russian gas imports, gradual increase in pipeline gas imports from Azerbaijan, LNG from the United States and other countries. At the same time, while replacing Russian gas, Ankara is trying to get better terms from Russia for gas supplies to Turkey and the EU in the future.

On June 28, 2019 in Osaka, Japan, as part of the G20 Summit, the International Energy Agency (IEA) planned to release the results of the study “On assessment of the role of hydrogen and its economic potential in developing a new model of the global energy system.”  According to the Minister of Economic and Climate Policy of the Netherlands, Noévan Hulst, a stable position regarding the widespread use of hydrogen as a key energy carrier in the transition to a new  low carbon paradigm for the development of energy systems in Europe and the world where hydrogen will be generated from different sources has already been formed by experts.