AbstractsPhysics

The EU electricity market is changing. We are leaving a decade of liberalization and enter a period in which the sustainability of the system and consumer participation play a more significant role. The application of ICT technology, especially by way of smart grids, is presumed to support these roles. Smart grids may change the face of the energy systems in the EU. They potentially contribute to reducing CO2 emissions, empower consumers and make markets more competitive. However, to what extent smart grids will contribute to these aims depends on how their technology is developed. In turn, standardization largely influences the development of their technology. This study investigates the issue of safeguarding policy aims and requirements in the standardization process of smart grids. How can the EU aims and requirements for smart grids be safeguarded in this standardization process? To establish the existing safeguards, this thesis first addresses the current legal framework of EU standardization and its consequences for the standardization process of smart grids. It subsequently investigates the important role of standards in society and shows that additional safeguards are crucial to ensure the incorporation of EU aims and requirements in the standardization process. The thesis first and foremost brings to light the responsibility of the EU Commission to clarify its aims and requirements in the standardization mandate. Secondly, it proposes the application of the EU principles of good governance as procedural safeguards in the process. Finally, it discusses the possibilities and implications of their application to standardization.