Water: the Italian Regulatory Authority at the helm of WAREG, the network of European Water Service Regulators

Milan, May 29, 2015

Italian version

The Italian Regulatory Authority for electricity, gas and water (AEEGSI) leads the network of European water service regulators, WAREG. During the fourth general assembly of the body which was held yesterday in Edinburgh, Alberto Biancardi, member of the board of the Italian regulator, was in fact unanimously elected as the first president of WAREG-European Water Regulators. Vice Presidents are Katherine Russell from the Scottish Regulator (WICS) and Szilvia Szalóki from the Hungarian Regulator (HEA). The newly-elected will remain in office for 2 years, with the responsibility to develop the WAREG activities and strengthen the dialogue with institutions and stakeholders at European and international level.

WAREG is the European network of water service regulators, born in Milan in April 2014 to promote cooperation between regulators in the water sector, to share best practices and to harmonized and stable a regulatory framework at European level.
WAREG has already 18 Members¹ and 5 Observers, who will become members in a short time². Its structure, in addition to the President and the Vice-presidents, is composed of a Secretariat, two Working Groups, one with institutional issues and one with technical-regulatory issues.
WAREG has initiated a dialogue with the European Institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, Eureau - European Association of water service operators) and with representatives of the financial community and the  European and international academic world; European regulators representing WAREG took part in different international contexts of the sector the International Water Association, OECD, Danube Water Program - World Bank, International Water Resources Association. 
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¹MEMBERS OF WAREG are:

1. AEEGSI - Italy
2. ANRSC - Romania, Romanian Authority for Public Services
3. CER - Ireland, Commission for Energy Regulation
4. ECA - Estonia, Estonian Competition Authority
5. ERRU - Albania, Water Regulatory Authority
6. ERSAR - Portugal, Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority
7. ERSARA - Portugal (Azores), Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority of Azores
8. HEA - Hungary, Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority
9. MAGRAMA - Spain, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment
10. MRA - Malta, Malta Resources Authority
11. NCC - Lithuania, National Commission for Energy Control and Prices
12. NIAUR - Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Utility Regulation Authority
13. KSST - Denmark, Danish Competition and Consumer Authority
14. PUC - Latvia, Public Utilities Commission
15. SEWRC - Bulgaria, State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission
16. SSW - Greece, Special Secretariat for Water
17. VMM - Belgium, Flemish Environment Agency
18. WICS - Scotland, Water Industry Commission for Scotland

²WAREG observers are:


19. OFWAT - England and Wales, Water Services Regulation Authority
20. ANRE - Moldova
21. Ministry of Sustainable Development - Montenegro
22. HRVATSKE VODE - Croatia
23. WWRO - Kosovo, Water and Waste Regulatory Office (WWRO)
24. WWRO - Kosovo, Water and Waste Regulatory Office (WWRO)