In search of the perfect electricity market

Nearly twelve years after the first electricity directive (Directive 96/92/EC), the European electricity sector is still fragmented along national borders. Within national or regional markets, competition has generally not developed as much as had been expected. Energy market experts Laurens de Vries and Aad Correljé of Delft University of Technology argue that progress is possible, but that we also have to learn to accept the inevitable imperfections of the integration process.