ERRA (Energy Regulators Regional Association) is an inter-institutional non-profit organisation unified by the shared goal of its regulatory members – from Europe, Asia, Africa, Middle East, North and South America – to improve energy regulation. ERRA fosters and facilitates exchange of data, information and experience among its members, in order to support strengthening and improving regulatory framework around the world and to promote opportunities for capacity building through its training courses, webinars, workshops and networking through the annual Energy Investment and Regulation Conference. ERRA has played a vital role in accelerating energy reform and market development in Europe and Eurasia, and its story, from the establishment to the present day, offers important lessons on how to support progress toward self-reliance in energy regulation.
ICER (International Confederation of Energy Regulators) was established in October, 2009 during the World Energy Regulators Forum. The regulators envisaged that the global character of energy issues will grow and regulators wanted to participate in solving these complicated issues. ICER members are energy regulators’ associations from six continents including CEER and ERRA the member of which is the PUC. ICER’s work is mainly organised virtually; the International Energy Regulation Network has also been established.
Following the initiative of the European Commission, the so-called process of regional initiatives was started in 2006 to form the European Union energy market by first developing and uniting regional markets. Seven regional electricity and three regional gas markets were formed and coordinators for each region were designated. The PUC is an active participant and coordinator of the Baltic Electricity Regional Initiative (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia). After the dissolution of ERGEG (the European Regulators' Group for Electricity and Gas) in May, 2011, the process of regional initiatives was taken over by ACER. The process of regional initiatives is managed by the regulators cooperating with transmission system operators and other market participants, as well as the European Commission.
Public Utilities Commission of Latvia and other Nordic and Baltic National Regulatory Authorities and Nord Pool Spot have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the intention to ensure obligations according to REMIT to be carried out in a consistent and efficient way. The MoU includes routines for exchange of information, notification, investigation and enforcement.
The meetings of the Baltic Electricity Regional Initiative/Electricity Market Forum (ERI) take place in each of the Baltic States on a rotating basis. The regulators, operators, energy companies and ministries of the three Baltic States actively participate in the Baltic ERI since its inception, as do the invited Nordic regulators, operators, Nord Pool Spot and representatives of other countries depending on the agenda. The last forum was held in Jurmala on June 6, 2014.