Legislation and regulation

The purpose of the Natural Gas Market Act is to ensure the conditions for a national and regional natural gas market that functions efficiently, securely and environmentally sustainably as well as for the European Union’s internal natural gas market. The aim is to ensure the reliable transmission of natural gas and access to natural gas that is competitively priced and sufficiently high in quality. The primary means for creating a functioning natural gas market are safeguarding healthy and effective economic competition in the supply and storage of natural gas, and maintaining reasonable and fair service principles in the functioning of natural gas networks and liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing facilities. The tasks of enterprises in the natural gas sector include ensuring the provision of services relating to their customers’ natural gas procurement, and promoting the efficient and economical use of natural gas in their own and their customers’ activities. The Act applies to the import, export, transmission, distribution, delivery and storage of natural gas and LNG. The Act also covers gas from renewable energy sources and other gas that can be technically and safely injected into the natural gas network and transmitted and distributed in the natural gas network.

Government Decree on the Settlement and Measurement of Natural Gas Delivery and the Gas Market Handbook referred to in the Decree

The Decree lays down further provisions on organising balance responsibility between gas market participants, on notifications concerning natural gas deliveries and switching natural gas suppliers, on balance settlement and on measurement of natural gas deliveries. The Decree also applies to gases from renewable energy sources and other gases injected into the natural gas system.

As the regulatory authority, the Energy Authority confirms the terms and conditions for the gas market under the Act on the Regulation of the Electricity and Gas Markets (590/2013). The market rules are subordinate to the gas market terms and conditions and, under the Market Regulation Act, the Energy Authority may address any violations of the terms and conditions. In terms of content, the market rules are larger entities from which components under the Market Regulation Act have been formulated into separate documents containing terms and conditions.

The Natural Gas Directive establishes common rules for the European Union concerning the transmission, distribution, supply and storage of natural gas. It lays down the rules relating to the organisation and functioning of the natural gas sector, access to the market, and the criteria and procedures applicable to the granting of authorisations for transmission, distribution, supply and storage of natural gas and the operation of systems.

Created to promote the interconnection of energy markets and increase trade, the EU-wide network codes aim to complete a fully functioning and interconnected internal energy market to maintain reliable gas transmission, increase competitiveness and ensure that all consumers can purchase energy at a reasonable price. 

The market rules determine the operating principles of the gas market that market participants follow when operating in the wholesale and retail markets. The market rules have been drawn up together with  and authorities, and they will be updated and developed as necessary.

The gas market guidelines and recommendations supplement the Finnish gas market rules.

The Gas Market Code and Information Exchange Guidelines have been drawn up for shippers, traders, transmission network end users, biogas injecting parties, distribution system operators and retailers to further specify recommendations related to procedures and requirements and instructions relating to the exchange of information. 

The Gas Measurement Recommendations have been drawn up for the transmission system operator, distribution system operators and those responsible for measurements but also for parties relating to the processing, communication and receipt of measurement data. The recommendations cover measurements in both the transmission and distribution network.