Standard Terms and Conditions

Standard Terms and Conditions (STC) are the contractual rules that apply between an AIB Member and every user of that Member’s Guarantees of Origin (GO) registry.

These users are called market participants. Depending on national legislation (see overview), the following parties can register for an account in a GO registry:

• renewable energy producers
• energy suppliers
• traders
• large energy consumers
• other authorised parties...

The AIB Member operates the national or local GO system and requires all market participants to agree to the STC before using the registry and being able to receive, transfer or cancel guarantees of origin.

Why are STC required?

STC ensure that the rules of the EECS system can be legally enforced between the AIB Member and its market participants.

In particular, the STC must:

• reflect the core principles of the Model STC published by Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB)
• allow the Member to enforce the Domain Protocol and relevant product rules against its market participants
• protect other Members, their representatives, and AIB against claims from market participants with whom they have no direct contractual relationship

This creates a clear and consistent legal framework across all participating countries.

Accuracy, security, and cooperation

The STC also set out practical responsibilities for market participants. They require that:

• the Member and the market participant cooperate to correct errors in GO certificates or registry operations
• certificates may be amended or withdrawn if needed to ensure the accuracy of the system
• market participants keep login credentials and authorisation data confidential
• any action carried out using valid authorisation data is considered to have been made by the market participant

These rules help prevent misuse and ensure trust in the GO system.

Liability and claims

Each AIB Member acts as a Hub Participant in relation to the AIB Hub. The Member must ensure that its market participants are bound by STC that:

• include clear limitations of liability
• require contractual claims to be directed only to the Hub Participant, as the sole contracting party
• require market participants to mitigate any damage related to activities carried out via the Hub

If a Member does not correctly apply such STC, the liability of other Hub users and of AIB is strictly limited, and market participants must be informed accordingly.

In summary, STC are a key legal tool. They link market participants to their national GO registry, protect the wider EECS system, and support a harmonised and reliable Guarantees of Origin framework across Europe.