Article 17 1

1.   Tariffs, or the methodologies used to calculate them, applied by the transmission system operators and approved by the regulatory authorities pursuant to Article 78(7) of Directive (EU) 2024/1788, as well as tariffs published pursuant to Article 31(1) of that Directive, shall be transparent, take into account the need for system integrity and its improvement and reflect the actual costs incurred, insofar as such costs correspond to those of an efficient and structurally comparable network operator and are transparent, whilst including an appropriate return on investments. Tariffs, or the methodologies used to calculate them, shall be applied in a non-discriminatory manner.

Tariffs may also be determined through market-based arrangements, such as auctions, provided that such arrangements and the revenue arising therefrom are approved by the regulatory authority.

Tariffs, or the methodologies used to calculate them, shall facilitate efficient natural gas trade and competition, while at the same time avoiding cross-subsidies between network users and providing incentives for investment and maintaining or creating interoperability for transmission networks.

Tariffs for network users shall be non-discriminatory and shall be set separately for every entry point into or exit point out of the transmission system. Cost-allocation mechanisms and rate setting methodology regarding entry points and exit points shall be approved by the regulatory authorities. Regulatory authorities shall ensure that network tariffs shall not be calculated on the basis of contract paths.