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The Treaty establishing the Energy Community, which was signed in Athens on October 25, 2005, and came into effect on July 1, 2006, provides for the creation of the biggest internal market in the world for electricity and gas, with effective participation of the European Union on one side, and the following nine Contracting Parties: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine.
In accordance with their expressions of interest, the following countries participate in the work of the Energy Community bodies: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. These nineteen countries have the status of Participants and directly participate in the work of the Energy Community bodies; in the voting procedure their positions are expressed by votes of the European Commission.
Armenia, Norway and Türkiye have observer status in the Energy Community bodies.
The main goals of the Energy Community are the creation of a stable and single regulatory framework and market space that ensures reliable energy supply and attracts investments in the electricity and gas sectors. In addition, it assumes the development of alternative sources of gas supply and improvement of the condition of the environment, with the implementation of energy efficiency and the utilisation of renewable sources.
By signing the Treaty, the Contracting Parties from the region are obligated to establish a common electricity and gas market that will operate in accordance with the standards of the EU energy market into which it will integrate. It is to be achieved by gradual transpo¬sition of the EU acquis, which means the implementation of the relevant EU directives and regulations per¬taining to electricity, gas, security of supply, oil, environment, renewables, energy efficiency, infrastructure, competition and statistics.
The Treaty was concluded initially for a period of ten year. By the Decision of the Energy Community Ministerial Council of 24 October 2013 it was extended by 30 June 2026 and on 14 December 2023 a Decision was taken to extend it to 30 June 2036.
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