European Energy Certificate System

Definition

The European Energy Certificate System (EECS) is a commercial European framework for issuing, holding, transferring and otherwise processing EU energy certificates. It offers a framework for cross border harmonisation of Guarantee of Origin and similar certificates.

An EECS certificate is an electronic certificate that is uniquely identifiable, transferable and tradable and it encloses information on the source of the energy and its production method.

History

The EECS was developed by the Association of Issuing Bodies to provide a regulated platform for Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin, as proposed by the Renewables Directive which supports Directive 2009/72/EC (the Internal Electricity Market Directive).

EECS builds upon the concept proposed by the Basic Commitment of the Renewable Energy Certificate System (RECS) and supports all types of electricity, regardless of source or production technology.

Current relevant legislation

• Renewable Energy Directive 2018/2001 (EU) Art. 19
• Internal Energy Market Directive Electricity / Gas 2019/944 (EU) Annex 1.5

Entities and Roles

• Issuing Body (Scheme Member, or Simply Member). A member of the AIB from time to time (as determined in accordance with the provisions of the Articles of Association and the law of Belgium). In relation to any EECS Scheme or Scheme Certificate, a Member which is for the time being admitted to the relevant EECS Scheme
• Association of Issuing Bodies
• Registry Operator. In relation to any Member and EECS Scheme either: (a) that Scheme Member; or (b) where such appointment has been made, the person appointed by such Scheme Member to administer the operation of the EECS Registration Database for the purposes of that EECS Scheme.
• Competend Authority. The body appointed by government to administer a certain type of certificate in a given domain, or to administer disclosure, as appropriate. In relation to the exercise or discharge of any legislative, governmental, regulatory or administrative function with respect to any Domain, the body duly authorised under the laws and regulations of the state (and, as the case may be, region) in which such Domain is situated to exercise or discharge that function, and, in relation to any Guarantee of Origin or Support Certificate the body duly authorised by the State under the relevant Legislative Certification Scheme to issue that Guarantee of Origin and/or Support Certificate as the case may be.
• Authorised Measurement Body. A person who is authorised or, where appropriate, appointed by the relevant Competent Authority for the relevant Domain to collect and determine measured Output quantities and other measured energy values.
• Customer. In relation to a Member:
  • a Registrant of a Production Device, or
  • an Account Holder registered on that Member’s EECS Registration Database.
• EECS Market Participant. A Registrant or an Account Holder.
• Registrant. A person in whose name a EECS Production Device is registered from time to time in an EECS Registration Database for the purposes of the Issue of one or more EECS Products.
• EECS Account Holder. A person in respect of whom an EECS Account is maintained on an EECS Registration Database.
• Member's Agent. A person, including a Registry Operator, engaged by a Member to perform any of its obligations under the EECS Rules on its behalf.
• Cancelling Body. A body, which may or may not be an Account Holder which: (a) provides real or intangible benefits in connection with the cancellation of EECS Certificates; and/or (b) imposes a legal obligation that may be satisfied by the Cancellation of EECS Certificates.
• Originating Member. With respect to an EECS Certificate, the Member which Issued that EECS Certificate.
• Production Auditor. In relation to any Domain and EECS Product, such Approved Body as the relevant Authorised Issuing Body appoints to audit information provided by Registrants in Production Declarations by reference to the records of, or made available by, the Registrant (or, if different, the owner or operator of the relevant Production Device) and, where appropriate, by inspecting the relevant Production Device.
• Production Registrar. In relation to any Domain and EECS Product, the Authorised Issuing Body or such other person as the Domain Protocol provides is responsible for assessing applications to register Production Devices for the purposes of the relevant EECS Product.
• Professional Reviewer. A suitably qualified and experienced individual who has been approved by the Board to conduct Product Rules Assessment reviews, Compliance Assessment reviews, Change Assessments or ICS Assessment reviews and is independent of the party being reviewed and the other reviewer and has no conflicting professional interests.
• ICS Scheme Operator. In relation to an ICS, the body responsible for the ICS Rules.
• Transferor or Sending Account Holder. An Account Holder who has requested the Member in whose EECS Registration Database the EECS Certificate is held to transfer an EECS Certificate from its Transferables Account in that EECS Registration Database to another Transferables Account
• Transferee. An Account Holder whose Transferables Account has been nominated in a Transfer Request.

Issues and Challenges

• EECS is a voluntary scheme and membership of a particular country to the scheme does not automatically signify that EECS Certificates will be able to be used in that particular country for compliance with legal obligations set out under national legislation.