Electric power law: your working context for several decades. What must be known about the French law project

The French government will adopt with some reticence the new organization of the electric power market as decided by the European parliament. The French transposition of the European legislative text will be discussed at the French national assembly only in February 1999 and voted only in the second semester. This paper summarizes the main points of the project of law passed in December 9, 1998 and tries to explain the stakes of the new regulatory context for Electricite de France (EdF): creation of a regulation commission, accounting dissociation between production, transport and distribution, the eligible customers, the tariffs of electricity transport, the disagreement between the government and the electric equipment professionals with respect to EdF's position, the social aspects, and the construction of direct power lines in complement of public networks. An interview of G. Poullain, head of the national council of the electric equipment (CNEE), about the future development of EdF is given in inset. (J.S.)