Final Conclusions to Part III

Abstract

International electricity trade is subject to some familiar issues of world trade law while at the same time evoking sui generis problems that challenge the existing multilateral trade rules. Neither tariff protection of domestic production nor foreign market access for domestic utilities and independent power producers play a big role in the electricity sector. In the context of accelerating renewable energy ambition and the explicit choice of countries for or against certain types of generation, import restrictions based on environmental grounds might become more pertinent. As of today, however, export restrictions are more common in practice because of the vital importance of a secure electricity supply.