Independent regulatory authority and their application to energy market in Turkey

EMRA (Energy Market Regulatory Authority) had been established with the Electrical Market Law numbered 4628 enforced on 2001 and an important step has been taken on the way to Electrical Liberalization which is one of the important standards of European Union. EMRA had been entitled for regulating the natural gas market with the Law number 4646, the Petroleum Market with the law number 5015 and LPG market with the law number 5307 to be enforced on the same year.The main purpose for regulations in the energy sector is to provide continuous, qualified and cheap electrical energy. A main regulation which is one of the most important media to establish a legal structure for competition, to break the trust structure and to leave the public institution approach for producing, conveying and distributing the energy and to establish an independent regulation unit for transparent action in the energy market and EMRA has been established within this respect.The regulation in the energy sector of Turkey has come in to agenda with EU adaptation process and European Union Directives and also serious corruptions had resulted the establishing of an independent institution like EMRA.EMRA; generally has been charged for regulating the market activities and the licenses and present contracts, determining the rights and liabilities arisen from such activities in accordance with the law, crating the application regulations, observing the transmission, distribution, wholesale and retailer sales and approving thereof, auditing the market activities and run of the market in accordance with the law.It is estimated that the energy demand in Turkey will increase dependent on growing performance and increase in the life standards, but the supply will be under this demand. In this respect the applications and performance of EMRA will be effective on success of re-structuring process of the energy sector.