In September, Verkhovna Rada will present energy security bill for public discussion. The bill foresees the creation of a single coordinating center on energy security issues. The center will mainly focus on policy formation and lobbying of Ukrainian energy interests abroad. This was reported by Natalia Katser-Buchkovska, Member of Parliament of Ukraine, during a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “We are now discussing whether this center should be created on the basis of the Cabinet of Ministers or the National Security and Defense Council. We are inclined to the second option,”- she added.
Natalia Boyko, Deputy Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, noted that the energy market will fully benefit only after merging with European energy system. Anton Antonenko, vice president of DixiGroup, said that successful implementation of the reform calls for resolving the issue of the appointment of a national regulator. Natalia Katser-Buchkovska noted that Verkhovna Rada nominated 2 representatives to the competition committee for the selection of National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission of Ukraine. “Before September, together with our colleagues from the Energy Committee, we plan to nominate and present to the factions Svyatoslav Pavlyuk from RPR and Hlib Vyshlinsky from the Center for Economic Strategy as two representatives of Parliament in competition commission,” Ms. Katser-Buchkovska said. She noted that now Presidential Administration and the Cabinet of Ministers are to nominate their representatives.
“Interstate trade will give a strong impetus to investment in the energy sector of Ukraine and will lead to competition in the domestic market,” Vsevolod Kovalchuk, Acting Director of the National Energy Company “UKRENERGO” said. Svitlana Holikova, an independent expert, noted that the Ukrainian consumer will benefit from energy market competition. “Together with colleagues from the Foreign Affairs Committee we work on a plan to support Ukraine, which will allow greater investments in the infrastructure facilities,” Natalia Katser-Buchkovska said. Mr. Kovalchuk said the energy sector will need from 600 million to 1.2 billion euros of investments over the next 5 years.
Anton Antonenko noted that the coordination and the goodwill of all those involved in the process will be the key. “We find it absolutely necessary […] to unite the Presidential Administration and the Cabinet of Ministers […]. We hope that no later than in September […] we will create a coordinating center, which will include representatives of the executive bodies, National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission, and perhaps some other institutions,” Vsevolod Kovalchuk said.