Law No. 1682-III On natural monopolies .

This Law defines the legal, economic and organizational foundations of the state regulation of activities of subjects of natural monopolies in Ukraine. The scope of this Law is to ensure the effectiveness of the functioning of markets in a state of natural monopoly, on the basis of balancing the interests of society, subjects of natural monopolies and consumers of their goods. Natural monopoly shall be intended a state of the commodity market, in which the satisfaction of demand on this market is more effective in the absence of competition due to the technological features of production (in connection with a significant decrease in production costs per unit of goods as production volumes increase), and goods (services), produced by the subjects of natural monopolies, cannot be replaced in consumption by other goods (services), in connection with which the demand in this product on market depends less on the change in prices for these goods (services) than the demand for other goods ( services). Subject of natural monopoly shall be intended a business entity (legal entity) of any form of ownership that produces (sells) goods on the market that is in a state of natural monopoly. The decision on the application of stimulating regulation in the relevant field is made by the body that carries out state regulation of the activities of natural monopolies, economic entities on adjacent markets in the field of combined production of electricity and thermal energy, in agreement with the central body of executive power on matters of policy formation in the relevant industry and the central executive body responsible for the implementation of the state price policy. The activities of natural entities are regulated in the following fields: (a) transportation and storage of oil, oil products, and natural gas through pipelines; (b) distribution of oil and natural gas through pipelines; (c) transmission of electric energy; (d) centralized water supply and sewerage; and (e) transportation of thermal energy. State regulation of the activities of natural monopoly entities is carried out on the basis of the following principles: (a) transparency and openness of regulation procedures; (b) addressability of regulation, its focus on a specific subject of natural monopoly; (c) self-sufficiency of subjects of natural monopolies; (d) stimulating the improvement of the quality of goods and satisfying the demand for them; (e) ensuring the protection of consumer rights; and (f) increasing the efficiency of the functioning of subjects of natural monopolies and economic subjects on adjacent markets in the field of combined production of electricity and thermal energy through the application of stimulating regulation.