Conditions of trade in electricity on the european union market

The article presents the factors which contribute to unification of the electricity trade principles between EU member countries. The factors in question are assumed to be as follows: observance of the WTO and ECT rules, application of the EFET standard and of the CBT mechanism. They have become an element of the EU policy aiming at building a uniform, internal electricity market. In reference to the first of the above. mentioned factors., in the article there are presented conditions for the cross border exchanges of electricity that result from the observance of the most favoured nation clause, reciprocity clause, national treatment principle and also the principle of freedom of transit. There are also considered exemptions connected with those. What has also been indicated is the significant role of standardization of parameters of electricity contracts according to the rules specified in EFET. Application of those rules considerably accelerates concluding of such contracts, reducing the operational risk at the same time. In the last part of the article, however, there are outlined advantages resulting from the implementation of uniform principles of compensating the costs of the use of transmission systems of the EU member countries. They greatly facilitate the realization of imports and exports of electricity.