34. After section 4C of the Gas Act 1986(1) insert—
4D—(1) When carrying out its functions as designated regulatory authority for Great Britain, the Authority must, wherever it thinks fit—
(a)consult and cooperate with the Agency and the designated regulatory authorities for Northern Ireland and other Member States;
(b)provide the Agency and the designated regulatory authorities for Northern Ireland and other Member States with information they may require in order to carry out their functions under the Gas Directive, the Gas Regulation or the Agency Regulation as it applies in relation to gas; and
(c)consult relevant national authorities.
(2) In exercising functions in accordance with subsection (1), the Authority must, wherever it thinks fit, cooperate with the designated regulatory authorities for Northern Ireland and other Member States within a region which includes Great Britain with a view, within that region, to—
(a)the integration of national markets;
(b)the promotion and facilitation of cooperation between transmission system operators;
(c)the optimal management of gas networks;
(d)the promotion of jointly managed cross-border trade in gas and the allocation of cross-border capacity;
(e)ensuring an adequate level of interconnection capacity;
(f)the coordination of the development of network codes; and
(g)the coordination of the regulation of gas markets, including rules concerning the management of congestion of gas networks.
(3) In this section—
“network code” means a network code developed under Article 6 of the Gas Regulation and adopted by the European Commission;
“region” includes a geographical area defined in accordance with Article 12(3) of the Gas Regulation; and
“relevant national authority” means any of the following—
the Competition Commission;
the Office of Communications;
the Office of Fair Trading;
the Water Services Regulation Authority.”.
Inserted by regulation 32 of these Regulations.