The Croatian Energy Market Operator Ltd. (HROTE) has officially become a member of the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB). However, due to an AIB internal ruling the Croatian GO market will not be open for imports and/or exports until proper disclosure regulation is enacted.
According to the AIB, "HROTE has had observer status since 2010. The lack of national legislation did not allow full participation as a member of AIB. During the spring of 2014, a regulation framework that is requested according to the Article 15 in Directive 2009/28/EC and necessary for implementation of the system of Guarantees of Origin was passed."
The AIB went on to say that, "…the national legislation that will give the framework for disclosure has only been drafted and has not been yet officially approved by the Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency. Therefore, it was decided to accept HROTE as a member of AIB, but without the ability to export and import Guarantees of Origin."
RECS International supports the initiative of the HROTE to become a member of the AIB but must stress the importance of allowing consumers the opportunity to trade GOs internationally. Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is less than 25km from the Slovenian border and less than 150km from the Austrian border. The ability to purchase attributes from these, or other European countries, is critical to ensure true consumer choice in the Croatian electricity market. RECS International hopes to work with and inform the Croatian authorities of this necessity during our September Advisory Group meeting in Split, Croatia.