Transparency in Energy: An International Dimension: Comparative Analysis of Georgia, Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine
The “Energy Transparency Index 2023: Third International Edition” highlights the varying levels of transparency in the energy sectors of Georgia, Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine. It comprehensively assesses the disclosure of information in the energy sectors of these countries, from production to final consumption.
Our experts have prepared an infographic of the main results of the “Energy Transparency Index 2023: Third International Edition.”
Overall Score Overview
The 2023 assessment reveals different levels of transparency among the participating countries, with final scores: Georgia (73, B-), Moldova (58, C-), Romania (86, A-), and Ukraine (38, F). This difference indicates a wide range of transparency levels among the countries, from unacceptable to excellent.
Notably, three out of the four countries improved their scores compared to 2021 by 3-12 points.
However, Ukraine experienced a significant decline, losing 31 points. This drop is linked to the full-scale Russian invasion, after which energy data was closed to reduce the risk of identifying critical infrastructure facilities that could become targets for missile and drone attacks.
Category Scores
Analysis by category allows for an examination of transparency in various parts of the energy sector across the entire value chain—from production to final consumption.
As shown in the infographic, transparency levels vary significantly by category. These metrics enable one to indicate gaps and deficiencies as well concrete policy areas where national governments need to make additional efforts to implement reforms and improve information disclosure.
Moldova, Georgia, and Romania performed best in the “Balances” and “Natural Monopolies” categories due to strict legislative requirements and regulations in these areas. This is also explained by significant national and international accountability of the relevant authorities and companies, particularly the gas and electricity TSOs.
Ukraine achieved its best results in the “Consumption” and “Public Authorities” categories, which primarily focus on energy prices, suppliers’ commercial offers, and budget programs of public authorities. This information has relatively lower security risks for critical infrastructure.
Progress by Category
When looking at progress across different categories of the Index, we can see mixed results. For example, Georgia increased its scores in 6 categories and 11 subcategories but decreased in 1 category and 4 subcategories.
Moldova improved in 4 categories and 7 subcategories but saw decline in 3 categories and 7 subcategories. Ukraine, as expected due to the full-scale war, showed declines in 7 categories and 19 subcategories. However, even under these conditions, Ukraine managed to achieve slight “local” progress, with scores improving in 1 category and 4 subcategories.
In general, regular assessment and analysis are critically important for achieving consistent progress in the transparency and accountability of the energy sector of countries.
Energy Market Transparency
The transparency of national gas and electricity markets in Moldova, Georgia, Romania, and Ukraine also varies significantly. Romania leads with excellent transparency levels, while Ukraine has the opposite results. Georgia has made significant strides in the gas market (+6 points). This progress is primarily due to two reasons: the completion of unbundling, that is, the separation of distribution system operators (DSOs) and transmission system operators (TSOs), and the publication of operators’ compliance programs and annual reports.
Overall Rating and Trends
The most notable trend compared to 2021 is that Ukraine has dropped to 4th place in all categories and all markets, again linked to Russian aggression and data closure.
More information can be found in the full report “Energy Transparency Index 2023: Third International Edition,” available
The material was prepared within the framework of ‘Strengthening transparency and accountability in the Eastern Partnership through the application of the Energy Transparency Index’ supported by the European Union through Open Government Partnership Europe under EU for Integrity Programme. Its contents are the sole responsibility of DiXi Group and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.’