First Joint Meeting between BES and CEER
Successful First Joint Meeting between the Balkan Energy School (BES) and the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER)
The first joint meeting between the Balkan Energy School (BES) and the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER) took place in Brussels on 19 November 2025, marking an important milestone in fostering dialogue and cooperation between Euro-Balkan energy regulators.
The meeting was organized in the margin of CEER’s Electricity (ELE) and Gas (GAS) Working Group sessions, providing BES members with the opportunity to actively participate and engage in discussions on key regulatory developments in the European energy sector.
During the dedicated BES session
CEER representatives presented the main activities and priorities of the Electricity and Gas Working Groups, highlighting ongoing work to promote market integration, transparency, and consumer protection across Europe.
The BES Secretariat
introduced the Balkan Energy School initiative, outlining its background, objectives, and progress made since its establishment. The presentation underlined BES’s role as a regional platform for capacity building, knowledge exchange, and cooperation among energy regulators from EU and Energy Community countries.
The Head of BES Secretariat
Ms. Maria Teresa Galante , emphasized the significance of the BES–CEER collaboration, particularly in strengthening the integration of electricity markets between the European Union and the Western Balkans, and in aligning regulatory frameworks with EU principles.
CEER, ELE and GAS WGs chairs
Pedro Verdelho and Christine Materazzi-Wagner welcomed BES participants and stressed the relevance of the cooperation within euro-balkan energy markets.
In the second part of the session
BES members delivered short institutional presentations providing an overview of the energy sectors they regulate. These included key indicators on electricity and gas markets—such as production, consumption, cross-border exchanges, and market structure—as well as information on national market models, regulatory frameworks, and progress made in implementing the Electricity Integration Package. This exchange of experiences and data offered a comprehensive picture of the region’s energy landscape and identified opportunities for further cooperation and alignment with EU standards.
Participants from both CEER and BES
welcomed the initiative as a valuable platform for dialogue, noting that such meetings strengthen institutional collaboration and enhance the capacity of regulators to tackle common challenges, including market coupling, renewable energy integration, and consumer empowerment. The open and constructive discussions reaffirmed the shared commitment to advancing energy transition, market integration, and sustainable development throughout Europe and the Western Balkans.
The success of this first joint meeting
confirms the relevance of BES as a strategic tool toto promote support the integration of euro-balkan energy markets. Both CEER and BES expressed their intention to continue and deepen this collaboration through future joint activities, trainings, capacity-building initiatives, and technical exchanges aimed at fostering a more harmonized and resilient regional energy market.
