Since its establishment, Azerbaijan Energy Regulatory Agency (AERA) has put special emphasis on international cooperation and has done significant work to strengthen bilateral relations and exchange best practices with regulatory authorities of a number of countries.
To implement regulatory mechanisms in Azerbaijan’s energy sector and align local legislation with international standards, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed a Letter of Intent in September 2017 on the project to support the functioning of the Azerbaijan Energy Regulatory Agency. As part of the project to support the activities of the newly established Azerbaijan Energy Regulatory Agency, which ran from 2018 to 2021, the EBRD provided assistance in developing draft normative legal acts on energy regulation, as well as enhancing the professional skills and capabilities of the Agency’s personnel.
As a next step, AERA initiated cooperation with the Energy Regulators Regional Association (ERRA). In April 2018, AERA was elected an associate member of ERRA. This collaboration contributes to the exchange of international experience in energy regulation and establishing cooperative relations with regulatory authorities of various countries.
AERA also cooperates with prominent international organizations, such as the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as well as the Regulatory Energy Transition Accelerator (RETA).
The Agency, which fosters cooperation to learn from international experience, signed Cooperation Protocols with the energy regulators of Turkiye and Bulgaria in 2020.
In 2021, the Agency laid the foundation for cooperation with the energy regulators of Ukraine, Israel, and the United Kingdom (Ofgem). The parties agreed to create a stable regulatory framework for electricity and gas supply, hold seminars, bilateral meetings, trainings, and exchanges of specialists and experience for the development of regulated markets.
AERA signed Memorandums of Understanding in the field of energy regulation with the Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority (MEKH) in 2021, with Austria’s regulatory authority E-Control in 2023, and with the Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (GNERC) in 2024. On April 3, 2025, AERA signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of energy regulation with the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE).
Cooperation activities were also undertaken within the framework of EU4Energy Programme Phase II – “Promoting the Clean Energy Transition in the Eastern Partnership Countries”, which spanned from 2021 to 2024.
Regional and international organizations cooperating with AERA
Energy Regulators Regional Association (ERRA)
Energy Union
Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER)
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Regulatory Energy Transition Accelerator (RETA)
