Small and very small electricity systems in the internal electricity market

The document sets out the Commission's analysis of and conclusions on the specific problems inherent in liberalizing the markets in small and very small electricity systems, as requested by the Council on 29 November 1994. Small electricity systems take the form either of a single system in a Member State or of a system comprising several electricity systems within a Member State. They are either interconnected with other systems or stand alone, as is the case on the islands (Ireland, Crete etc.). The Commission concludes from its analysis that small systems will all be subject to competition and the liberalization of the markets, irrespective of whether they are interconnected or stand alone. The size of these small systems is no justification for granting them special protection against competition and they must therefore be dealt with in the same way as all other electricity systems.�