Gas transport

A precondition for a fully liberalised gas market is transparent and non-discriminatory access to the national gas transmission and distribution network for all market participants.

In the Netherlands a system of regulated access to the network applies. This means that an independent regulatory authority approves the terms and conditions for access and ensures compliance with the provisions of the Gas Act. In the Netherlands this responsibility has been assigned to the Office of Energy Regulation (Energiekamer), which is part of the Dutch Competition Authority (NMa). Amongst other things the NMa is an independent government body entrusted with the regulation of the gas and electricity markets in the Netherlands. The main conditions for access to the network have been drawn up in the Network Code. The Network Code is adopted by the NMa on the basis of proposals that are submitted by the Joint Network Operators, the combination of the distribution network operators and the national transmission system operator (GTS). In addition to the Network Code GTS has elaborated specific terms and conditions for access to the grid in the Transmission Service Conditions (TSC). Furthermore, GTS offers services that are not included in its statutory obligations. These services and their terms and conditions are also described in the TSC. The TSC has the status of general contractual provisions and is part of the bilateral contract between GTS and its customers. In addition terms and conditions for system connection between the national grid and end users, distribution network operators or neighbouring network operators are also drawn up in bilateral contracts. These are Connection Agreements for end user connections or distribution networks operators and Grid Connection Agreements in the case of neighbouring network operators.