Energy Law (1998)

This Law regulates the energy industry as the economic sector that covers the acquisition and use of energy resources for the production of various types of energy, the conversion, purchase, storage, transmission, distribution, trade and use of energy. The purpose of this Law is to ensure the energy user with efficient, safe and qualitative energy supply in the quantity demanded and for justified prices, diversifying the types of energy resources to be used, increasing the safety of the energy supply and observing the environmental protection requirements; to promote efficient use and balanced consumption of energy; to ensure the right of energy users to choose the type of energy to be consumed and the merchant; to promote economically justified competition; to determine the procedures for the management of energy industry and the principles for organisation and regulation of operation of energy supply merchants; to facilitate the use of local, renewable and secondary energy resources; to promote the friendly impact of energy industry on the environment and the use of environmentally friendly technologies. The energy policy is a part of the national economy policy and the main principles, objectives and directions thereof shall be determined by the Cabinet in policy planning instruments. The Law further provides for licensing and registration of energy supply merchants and operation thereof; restrictions of rights to the use of immovable property because of location of objects of an energy supply merchant therein; natural gas supply system; heating supply and cooling supply system; increase of energy efficiency; energy crisis; energy industry management; regulation of energy supply; liability for failing to comply with the requirements for supply of natural gas; and natural gas market.