​​​​​​​​​​​​Methane is widely regarded as one of the main greenhouse gases and its emissions are considered to be the second most important contributor to climate change. In the context of the Green Deal and as a part of the clean energy transition, the European Union has launched a dedicated effort for reducing methane emissions in the energy sector.

The effort takes into consideration the global nature of the industry and that about 80% of natural gas consumed in the European Union is imported. Approaches dealing with methane emissions in the natural gas industry have to account for the entire gas supply chain link, as well as for technology-specific features.

​​​​​​Cross-border energy infrastructure is the backbone connecting the European markets and allowing their integration. Gas pipelines, together with liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and underground gas storage (UGS) facilities, are the hardware supporting market integration, competition, and enhancing the security of supply in an efficient and sustainable way. If coupled with electricity, gas infrastructure can also support the energy transition towards a less carbon-intensive, and eventually carbon-neutral future.

Gas infrastructure offers flexibility, energy storage and back-up services which are already in place and of significant scale. Gas infrastructure is thus not just an object, but a tool that could contribute positively to the most profound decade of change in the European energy system.​

​​​​​​Network Codes and Guidelines are important instruments to organise access to the European Union's gas market. They aim at lowering barriers to entry for market participants, promoting market integration and improving market efficiency to the benefit of all EU citizens.

Why are the Network Codes important ?​

The gas industry is based on a vast interconnected physical network consisting of pipelines, LNG terminals, and gas storage facilities. Access to the EU gas market depends on access to the cross-border gas networks. To facilitate networks' access across EU Member States, the Union law foresaw to harmonise the relevant market rules in a number of Network Codes and Guidelines.

There are currently four gas Network Codes covering capacity allocation, tariffs, balancing rules, interoperability and data exchange rules, along with a Guideline on congestion management.

• Capacity Allocation: ensures auctioning of standard capacity products across the EU. The allocation rules foresee bundling of pipeline capacities at both sides of a border and selling them as a single product, thus simplifying trades between neighbouring systems.
• Harmonised Transmission Tariffs: provides transparent and harmonised measures for the charging methodologies, revenue recovery, reserve and payable price across the EU. These rules facilitate competition and promote the efficient use and development of the gas transmission network.
• Balancing Rules: market-based balancing rules financially incentivise network users to balance their positions with short-term products. In doing so, balancing rules contribute to the creation and development of short-term gas wholesale markets in the EU.
• Interoperability and Data Exchange Rules: create operational, technical, communication and business rules for the proper operation and interoperability of gas transmission systems.
• Congestion Guidelines​: facilitate the efficient use and maximisation of capacities in the gas transmission networks.​

​​​​​​Currently, gaseous fuels used in the European Union are dominated by natural gas, a fuel of fossil origin. Natural gas is composed mostly of methane and is consequently associated with greenhouse gas emissions of carbon dioxide when the natural gas is used as fuel or as methane when the natural gas is produced, processed, transported and used.

Decarbonisation of gas can be achieved by different ways and means. In other words, decarbonisation entails different ways by which the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the life cycle of natural gas from its source to the end user can be avoided, eradicated, or mitigated.

On 15 December 2021, the European Commission published its hydrogen and decarbonised gas market legislative proposals. See the ACER-CEER Position Paper on Key Regulatory Requirements to Achieve Gas Decarbonisation (20 December 2021).

​The Network Code on Emergency and Restoration (NC ER) provides the rules and standards for safeguarding a good level of operational security, preventing the propagation or deterioration of an incident to avoid a blackout, as well as allowing for an efficient and rapid restoration of the electricity system. The NC ER entered into force on 14 September 2017.

The NC ER's development was closely coordinated among ENTSO-E, ACER and the stakeholders.

As the NC ER does not foresee approvals by more than one regulatory authority, ACER will not be called upon to adopt decisions when regulatory authorities cannot agree on terms, conditions and methodologies. ​

​​​​​ACER and ENTSO-E have established the System Operations European Stakeholder Committee (SO ESC), to organise stakeholders' involvement on the implementation of the operation codes.

The SO ESC meets regularly to:

• Contribute to a more informed decision-making process regarding the implementation's methodologies and rules;

• Monitor the progress in the implementation, as well as in the operation and functioning of all the processes – at local, regional and pan-European level;

• Serve as a platform to share general views on the implementation, fostering stakeholders' engagements, receiving feedback and proposing amendments.

​​ACER and ENTSO-E monitor the implementation of the SO Regulation and of the NC ER​.The purpose of these tasks is generally twofold. 

First, ACER and ENTSO-E monitor the implementation of the operation codes in terms of requirements and provisions by TSOs. 

Second, once the specific req​​​​uirements have been implemented, ACER must monitor and analyse the implementation of the network codes and their effect on the harmonisation of applicable rules aimed at facilitating market integration, as well as on non-discrimination, effective competition and the efficient functioning of the market, and report to the Commission. 

ACER and ENTSO-E will publish different monitoring reports addressing the implementation.

​​​​​Network codes and guidelines are binding rules governing connection requirements to the electricity networks in an effective and transparent manner. They were established in 2009 by the EU Regulation on conditions for access to the network for cross-border exchanges in electricity  and recast in 2019 by the Regulation on the internal market for electricity .

The codes are crucial for ensuring the safety of system operation and the efficiency of the European Union's power grid.​