S.I. No. 275/1991:

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (TRANSIT OF ELECTRICITY) REGULATIONS, 1991.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (TRANSIT OF ELECTRICITY) REGULATIONS, 1991.

I, ROBERT MOLLOY, Minister for Energy, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act, 1972 (No. 27 of 1972), and for the purpose of giving effect to Council Directive No. 90/547/EEC of 29 October 1990⁽¹⁾ hereby make the following Regulations.

⁽¹⁾O.J. No. L313/1990 p.30 of 13th November, 1990.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Transit of Electricity) Regulations, 1991.

2. (1) In these Regulations--

"Council Directive" means Council Directive No. 90/547/EEC of 29th October, 1990.

"Commission" means the Commission of the European Communities.

"Minister" means the Minister for Energy.

(2) A word or expression used in these Regulations and in the Council Directive shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the same meaning in these Regulations that it has in the Council Directive.

3. Contracts involving the transit of electricity between transmission grids shall be negotiated in accordance with the provisions of the Council Directive.

4. The Electricity Supply Board without delay shall--

( a ) notify the Commission and the Minister of any request for transit in connection with contracts for the sale of electricity for a minimum of one year's duration;

( b ) open negotiation on the conditions of the electricity transit requested;

( c ) inform the Commission and the Minister of the conclusions of a transit contract;

( d ) inform the Commission and the Minister of the reason for the failure of the negotiations to result in the conclusion of a contract, if there has been a failure, within 12 months following the communication of the request.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 24th day of October, 1991.

ROBERT MOLLOY,

Minister for Energy.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

This Regulation obliges the Electricity Supply Board to notify the Minister and the E.C. Commission of any request for electricity transit between high-voltage transmission grids in the European Communities and to enter into negotiations for the conclusion of a contract where such a request has been made.