The European Commission’s Third Energy Package provides for more transparency in the gas market, covering such areas as flow information at all entry points and border points. GasTerra thinks that this should be enforced through rules to be specified with the stakeholders concerned. Portfolio holders, suppliers and buyers must first be given the opportunity to rectify any problems relating to balancing. “Balancing” means making sure that a balance exists between entry gas and exit gas in a portfolio within the agreed tolerance limits. This balance is important for keeping the gas transport network stable and reliable. In the Netherlands, the new Gas Act provides for what is known as the balancing regime. It is agreed that the shipper who is responsible for implementing deals (the “programme responsible party”) ensures that his own portfolio is in balance. The responsible party gets test signals which he can use to balance his portfolio. If the total system should still become out of balance, then a bid price ladder comes into operation which can be used to settle surpluses or shortages through market prices. The party who caused the imbalance pays the bill. GasTerra advocates an obligation to report all deals concluded through brokers, so that the market has up-to-date information about traded volumes and prices.