PLANS AS INSTRUMENTS OF PUBLIC ADMINSTRATION IN THE ENERGY SECTOR: EU REQUIREMENTS AND THE EXPERIENCE OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC AND UKRAINE

Abstract

Planning is an essential tool of public governance. Plans are among the key instruments of public administration. The energy sector is a strategic sector in all countries. Effective energy planning is crucial for the sustainable development and functioning of each country’s energy sector, as well as other sectors of the economy and the entire state. Energy policy is an important area of European Union (EU) policy, and plans are among the key instruments of EU institutions. However, plans as tools of public administration in general and in the energy sector in particular have not yet been sufficiently researched, which may cause problems in their practical application. This paper aims to explore the peculiarities of plans as instruments of public administration in the energy sector at the EU level and at the national level in the Slovak Republic as an EU Member State and Ukraine as an EU candidate country. Based on the analysis conducted, theoretical generalisations about plans as instruments of public administration have been made (e.g. a classification of plans is provided). Furthermore, recommendations on enhancing legal regulation of energy planning both at the EU level and the national level in the Slovak Republic and Ukraine have been developed. 
Keywords: Energy Sector, Energy Planning, Instruments of Public Administration, Acts of Planning, Administrative Procedure.