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General objectives of the regulatory authority In carrying out the regulatory tasks specified in this Directive, the regulatory authority shall take all reasonable measures in pursuit of the following objectives within the framework of its duties and powers as laid down in Article 78, in close consultation with other relevant national authorities, including competition authorities and relevant authorities from neighbouring Member States and neighbouring third countries, as appropriate, and without prejudice to their competencies:

(a) promoting, in close cooperation with regulatory authorities of other Member States, the Commission and ACER, competitive, flexible, secure and environmentally sustainable internal markets for natural gas, renewable gas, low-carbon gas and hydrogen within the Union, and ensuring appropriate conditions for the effective and reliable operation of natural gas and hydrogen networks and advancing energy system integration, taking into account long-term objectives, thus contributing to the consistent, efficient and effective application of Union law in order to achieve the Union’s climate and energy goals;

(b) developing competitive and properly functioning regional cross-border markets within the Union with a view to the achievement of the objectives referred to in point (a);

(c) eliminating restrictions on trade in natural gas and hydrogen between Member States, including eliminating restrictions due to differences in the quality of natural gas and hydrogen or in the volume of hydrogen blended into the natural gas system or due to differences in the quality of hydrogen in the hydrogen system, developing appropriate cross-border transmission or transport capacities to meet demand and enhancing the integration of national markets ensuring the interoperability of the interconnected Union natural gas system or Union hydrogen system, which may facilitate natural gas flow across the Union;

(d) helping to achieve, in the most cost-effective manner and while taking into account the energy efficiency first principle, the development of secure, reliable and efficient non-discriminatory systems that are consumer oriented, and promoting system adequacy and, in accordance with general energy and climate policy objectives, energy efficiency as well as the integration of large and small-scale production of gas from renewable sources and distributed production in both transmission and distribution networks and facilitating their operation in relation to other energy networks of electricity and heat;

(e) facilitating connection and access to the network for new production capacity, in particular removing barriers that could prevent connection and access for entrants on the markets for gas and hydrogen from renewable sources;

(f) ensuring that system operators and system users are granted appropriate incentives, in both the short and the long term, to increase efficiencies, especially energy efficiency, in system performance and foster market integration;

(g) ensuring that customers benefit through the efficient functioning of their national market, promoting effective competition and helping to ensure high levels of consumer protection in close cooperation with relevant consumer protection authorities and consultation with relevant consumer bodies;

(h) helping to achieve high standards of public service for natural gas, contributing to the protection of vulnerable customers and contributing to the compatibility of necessary data exchange processes for customer switching.