Poland and the EU Electricity Directive

Poland has entered the preaccession phase of the integration process with the European Union (EU). The Polish electric power sector is proving its capability of meeting the challenges posed by the accession and, in the process, may facilitate unavoidable transformation in other areas of the Polish economy. The currently implemented legislation related to the electric power sector in Poland conforms to the IEM 96/9UEC Directive. As a consequence of Polish electric power sector restructuring, separation of generation, transmission and distribution was introduced in 1990. The generation subsector consists of over 30 generation companies, with a total installed capacity amounting to 34000 MW and with gross annual electricity generation amounting to 142 TWh. The transmission subsector is represented by the Polish Power Grid Company as transmission system operator (TSO) and is preparing itself to play the role of the operator in the balancing market. The focus is on a phased opening of the internal electricity market for internal competition, restructuring and privatization of the electric power sector, and fuel supply sectors.