The "Union for the Co-ordination of Transmission of Electricity" (UCTE) is the association of transmission system operators in twenty four countries in continental Europe, providing a reliable market platform to all participants of the Internal Electricity Market ( IEM ) and beyond by efficient and secure electric "power highways".

Fifty years of joint activities laid the basis for a leading position in the world which the UCTE holds in terms of the quality of synchronous operation of interconnected power systems. It coordinates the operation and development of the electricity transmission grid from Portugal to Poland and from the Netherlands to Romania and Greece.

UCTE stands for an efficient and secure operation of the interconnected electrical "power highways" and gives signals to markets when system adequacy declines. Over more than fifty years, UCTE has been issuing all technical standards indispensable for a co-ordination of the international operation of high voltage grids which are all working at one »heart beat« - the 50 Hz UCTE frequency related to the nominal balance between offer and demand.

The UCTE network provides a safe electricity supply for some 430 million people in one of the biggest electrical synchronous interconnections worldwide. UCTE also monitors and supervises the development of the UCTE synchronous area. The resynchronization process of the two UCTE zones split in 1991 due to the war events in former Yugoslavia was successfully achieved on 10 October 2004. Presently, the following requests for enlargement of the UCTE area are investigated:

• The interconnection with Turkey
• The interconnection Tunisia - Libya that would bring the UCTE frequency up to Syria and Lebanon, and, most significantly,
• The assessment via a major feasibility study on the interconnection of the two largest systems (UCTE and IPS/UPS) - that would result in one electricity system spreading from Lisbon to Vladivostok.

Following the liberalization of the European electricity market (that resulted in a steep increase of cross border flows), and the un-bundling of electricity sector (separating vertically integrated utilities into respective generation, transmission companies and distribution companies), there is a need to make European security and reliability standards enforceable for all interconnected TSO and, in a later second step, to all grid users.

The UCTE operational standards are now being brushed up and transformed into the open document Operation Handbook gathering some 8 policies that might be commented by all interested stakeholders via an internet-based consultation process.

The enforcement among TSOs of these standards is supported by a Multi-lateral Agreement (MLA) which entered into force on 1 July 2005.

UCTE has been monitoring for decades the adequacy (balance between generation and consumption to be steadily maintained) of the interconnected systems, giving investors and market players signals for construction of generation and transmission facilities. UCTE provides comprehensive statistics on electricity generation and transmission in the European mainland.

Key challenge: To keep the quality of the UCTE system at high level and to provide a sound basis for electricity markets in a broader Europe and its enlargement to the benefit of allmarket players and consumers.