BRATISLAVA, November 16, (WEBNOVINY) – Economy Ministry is yet undecided whether it will give up on the possibility to control decisions of the regulatory authority in approving energy prices. Its spokeswoman Dagmar Hlavata told SITA newswire that the ministry is not dealing with the issue for now. The department will tackle it within the implementation of the third energy package in the spring of next year.
Even under the new leadership, the Economy Ministry continues to execute its right to check regulation of energy prices. As information of the Office for Regulation of Network Industries (URSO) shows the Economy Ministry disagreed with four its decisions regarding setting heat prices since the new government came to power. The ministry had reservations regarding the URSO-approved increase by 30 percent in the fixed item of the heat price for this year for the village of Rohoznik, a 78-percent increase in heat prices for the Detva-based company Bytes, an approved hike in a variable item for the Lucenec- based housing cooperative and an increase in the fixed item for the company Therm in Dubnica nad Vahom.
The ministries of economy and environment can control activities of the regulatory office in approving energy prices based on an amendment to the law on regulation of network industries, approved by parliament about three years ago. The opposition which comprised also two currently ruling parties gravely criticized the endorsed amendment. The opposition minded that the amendment gives the jurisdiction to the Economy ministry to enter the process of setting energy prices, which restricts the independence of the regulatory authority. The then Economy Ministry however insisted that the aim of the amendment was to get the regulatory authority’s decisions under public control.
The Economy Ministry has reservations mainly regarding regulation of prices in thermal energy sector. Since the beginning of this year, the ministry has sent 19 negative stances to the regulatory office, in which it is asking the URSO to reassess its increase in fixes or variable items of this year’s heat prices by individual suppliers. In contrast, the ministry did not use its right of intervention in regulation of electricity or natural gas prices.
SITA
