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Policy and Statutory Framework

The functions of the CRU along with its name were changed by the Gas (Interim Regulation) Act, 2002. Under that Act, its remit was expanded to include the regulation of the natural gas sector and our name was changed to the Commission for Energy Regulation.

As well as these founding pieces of legislation, the functions and duties of the CRU were altered and expanded significantly by legislation transposing EU directives into Irish law and the introduction of new primary legislation including:

These pieces of legislation gave the CRU powers in relation to the all-island Single Electricity Market (SEM) and they have also given the organisation safety-related responsibilities in the energy sector.

Relevant European Energy Legislation

The Energy Act 2016 (No. 12 of 2016) provides for various amendments of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999, the Gas Act 1976, the NORA Act 2007 and the Sustainable Energy Act 2002 and the Registration of Title Act 1964.

These included:

  • The renaming of the Commission For Energy Regulation (CER) as the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU),
  • A wider definition of the existing Single Electricity Market (SEM), to facilitate the North/South regulators' integrated Single Electricity Market, or I-SEM, project,
  • Enhanced enforcement powers for the Commission for Energy Regulation, including powers to impose administrative sanctions,
  • Increases in existing penalty levels on conviction from those already in the 2014 REMIT Statutory Instrument which relate to market abuse offences in the wholesale electricity and gas markets pursuant to the requirements of the EU's REMIT Regulation,

The CRU functions and duties in the water sector are set out in the Water Services Act 2013 and in more recent legislation in the Water Services (No.2) Act 2013.

The Irish Statute Book includes all legislation relevant to the energy and water sectors in Ireland.