Considering that energy is a key commodity, the proponents of European integration realized early on the need for a common energy policy. The gradual increase in energy consumption and the reduction of energy production has turned securing energy supply into a political issue of national priority, and also into a major European issue. Nevertheless, EU Member States have been reluctant to harmonize energy policy and progress on joint action has so far been slow. The reasons were the highly concentrated markets, the protectionist policies of domestic governments, the varying degrees of dependence on imports, the vertical integration of supply, production, transport and distribution, the barriers to infrastructure and equal access to third parties, the inadequate investment in networks and of course the dominance of domestic markets by national champions, which seek to further concentrate the market instead of opening up and liberalizing it. An active international initiative has recently been launched to radically change the energy market in Europe, creating a new architecture that favors small and medium-sized enterprises and widens the spectrum of options and the level of consumer protection. The involvement of national actors will be a catalyst for building a resilient Energy Union with a long-term climate change policy.
Our office has been involved in the relevant field providing legal support to investors regarding the legislation on Renewable Energy Sources, especially in the field of photovoltaic stations and the recycling of materials. The ever-changing EU legislation and the expanded implementation in recent years require, in addition to advanced legal knowledge, the monitoring of the relevant practices applied by the competent authorities for the issuance of permits and the implementation of projects.
