In 2009, the European legislation set new milestones in the separation of affiliated companies engaged in the transmission and supply of natural gas with the third energy package (Directive 2009/73/EC) concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas. The European legislation was implemented by the Republic of Slovenia in the Slovenian legislation with the Energy Act, which allows for various separation options in line with the European legislation, with the aim of ensuring an efficient separation of the activities of supply and transport of natural gas, and limiting the supervision of vertically integrated companies over operators engaged in the transport of natural gas.
The company Plinovodi d.o.o., which manages the Slovenian transmission network, is 100% owned by the company Plinhold d.o.o. The company Plinovodi d.o.o. acts as an independent transmission system operator (ITO) on the basis of a decision of the Public Energy Agency of the Republic of Slovenia. In order to meet certification requirements, the transmission system operator shall also meet the requirements directly determined by the Energy Act to ensure an effective separation of activities. Among other things, it imposes on the transmission system operator to develop a Compliance Programme setting out the objectives and measures to prevent discriminatory behaviour, and specific obligations that employees have to fulfil in order to achieve these objectives. The monitoring of the implementation of the programme in the Company is independently performed by the Compliance Officer. The Compliance Officer prepares an annual report which is submitted to the Supervisory Board of the Company and to the Regulatory Authority (the Energy Agency).
