This paper deals with basic characteristics and features of trading in electricity, especially in cross-border trading. First, the most important features of electricity as a commodity are explained, with the consequences for electricity trading. Then characteristics and changes in the electricity market after liberalization are discussed. This liberalization has taken place throughout Europe, and the consequences of this revolutionary change are still visible. The main features of electricity trading are mentioned in general. Then cross-border trade in Europe is discussed in greater detail. In this context the basic principles of the allocation of cross-border transmission capacities are explained.The next part of the paper considers the characteristics of the European electricity market from the trader’s point of view. Liquidity as a very important index is introduced here.Finally the most visible trends in cross-border trade and the most probable future development in this area are presented.

The task of this study is to valuate the investment efficiency of distribution companies. Although a series of publications and studies has been dedicated to this topic, it is difficult to find a general consensus in defining the investment efficiency of a company. Nevertheless if we simplify an imaginary  company as a production unit in which a series of actions transforms inputs to outputs, efficiency can be understood as like an effort to achieve maximum value of the outputs together with minimum usage of inputs, where the inputs constitute investments by a company. The investment efficiency of a company can be measured by expressing the absolute values of selected inputs and outputs, a relative expression of inputs and outputs, and perhaps an expression of the difference between them. However, an examination of the efficiency of a certain company is impossible without a valuation of other companies. In view of the amount of benchmarking, it should be emphasized, that this study is dedicated to a certain category of benchmarking, which we may term investment benchmarking. This benchmarking can be defined as a comparison of companies in terms investment efficiency. The purpose of this comparison is not only to investigate levels of investment efficiency and to relate them to other companies from the same branch, but also to locate the greatest efficiency and indicate potential improvement.