Russia’s energy sector is a formidable contributor to the nation’s socioeconomic wellbeing. The Russian Federation is
a world-leading energy player, exporting nearly half of its primary energy output.
The combination of external and domestic challenges, coupled with the change dynamic of the economic metrics, resource
potential, and technological wherewithal of Russia’s energy sector dictate the need to rethink its development model
and, first of all, make such changes that would drive accelerated innovation-based growth and restructuring.
The key focus in the present circumstances is for the energy sector, via structural transformation, to break through
to a higher, entirely new level that would be ultimately conducive to Russia’s strident socioeconomic advancement,
while balancing the interests at play in the marketplace.
It is our duty to assure that the further development of our energy sector is mindful of the national energy policy priorities,
such as guaranteed energy security of the entire country and its every region, support and incentives for innovation
by players in the energy sector and its subsidiary industries, minimization of the negative impact from mining, processing,
shipping and use of energy on the environment, climate and human health, promotion of competition and guaranteed fair
play for all Russian companies in the domestic energy markets, transparent, non-discriminatory pricing, and statutory
regulation of the business activities that are incumbently monopolistic.
All these priorities, to be properly addressed, require an appropriate legal framework and regulatory basis.
Our plan is, during this roundtable, to focus on a number of matters related to the promotion of competition in the energy
sector, assess how the recently enacted legislative changes affect the ratings of “doing business,” and evaluate the
degree of consumer buy-in in the implementation of the digital economy transition plans.
We think it is imperative that we also consider the matter of legal regulation, the trends and prospects of the legislative
process that concerns the energy sector, and some topical issues from court and law enforcement practice, among which
it would be particularly important to look at how the licensure mechanism works for the business of energy sales, to
examine the “alternative boiler-house” road map, the unified legislation on the fundamentals of the government regulation
of prices (tariffs), the switch to direct contracting, the advent of smart energy meters, and some other matters.
The topicality and seriousness of the above-listed matters, coupled with the fact that many aspects of legal regulation
in the energy sector are in need of further elaboration, determined our choice of topics and the purpose of our discussion.
We expect this roundtable to be attended by eminent Russian and international energy law experts, representing both authorities
and some major energy utilities operating within Russia and internationally.
The event will be worth their while to public and private investors, Russian and international energy utilities and linked
businesses, government agencies, and punditry at large.