North Macedonia plans to establish an organised gas market under electricity market operator MEMO, preparing the institutional framework needed to use new interconnections with Greece and Serbia and integrate more closely with neighbouring gas markets.
The government opted to expand MEMO’s mandate rather than establish a separate gas-market institution.
The decision comes as North Macedonia develops two strategically important pipeline connections. The interconnector with Greece is expected to enter operation around mid-2027, while the connection with Serbia is planned for completion by the end of 2028.
Together, the projects could broaden access to alternative suppliers, including LNG entering Southeast Europe, while creating additional cross-border trading opportunities.
MEMO will be required to prepare an implementation plan addressing staffing, technical systems, IT infrastructure, legislation and financing.
Authorities considered different European market structures, ranging from more fully liberalised models in Austria and Hungary to hybrid arrangements in Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania.
Using MEMO was judged faster and less costly because the operator already has settlement systems, trading infrastructure and an established IT platform.
North Macedonia has had a legal basis for organised gas trading since its 2018 Energy Law, but institutional development has lagged behind electricity-market reform.
Establishing the operator is expected to improve price formation, competition and balancing while bringing the domestic market closer to EU and Energy Community rules.
