An unprecedented event took place: the key officials of the central executive authorities responsible for the implementation of obligations within the Energy Community met together in one room. While everyone has been working in separate offices of different ministers and authorities, the conversation went extremely interesting, several issues have been solved, some points of tensions were identified, a big part of challenges, which are hard to identify, were expressed, says DiXi Group expert Anton Antonenko.
“It is strange, but over the years of Ukraine’s membership in the Energy Community Treaty, such meetings with the participation of public and business were not held. The reason was perhaps most clearly, for joke or seriously, described by one of the participants: earlier, we felt that there was nothing to carry on, now we see what everyone has to do.
The format of multi-stakeholder meetings, tested last week, looks promising. When the key stakeholders gather in one room and discuss common issues, they may quickly and efficiently solve issues, or at least discuss joint action. It is possible, primarily on the working level, as specific actions are made afterwards. It can become a kind of approach to the procedures of approving the draft decisions among the central executive authorities.
This may be the approach which “unlocks” reforms. This approach has proven in the discussion on the draft Energy Regulator Law and can now be applied to consider the issue of its very implementation. In a similar way, a joint position of government authorities and even members of the Parliament could be developed concerning the draft Energy Efficiency in Buildings Law. A fruitful discussion can be achieved, with involvement of MPs, to adopt the draft Electricity Market Law. These are only the draft laws which are included in the criteria for provision of the financial support to Ukraine.
At the same time, such an approach makes reform and reformers to face the reality, as the readiness to pass such a test would mean the readiness for reforms, which is the most important in their implementation. “
