The agreement that will make Turkey a permanent member of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) will be signed in April, expanding the commercial network of Turkish electricity companies to the entirety of the European continent. In 2009, Turkey and ENTSO-E's synchronous Continental European zone agreed on the methods and measures that would be taken for electric system connection; on Sept. 18, 2010, Turkey was tentatively connected to the system. With the second phase that was launched in February 2011, Turkey's system operator exchanged bidirectional, physical and non-commercial electric energy with Bulgarian and Greek system operators. With the Brussels-based ENTSO-E's approval of the agreement, Turkey will be included in the system as a permanent member as of next month. The agreement, which will allow a permanent connection between Turkey and Continental Europe's electricity system, will be completed with a joint study by the Turkish Electricity Transmission Company (TEİAŞ) and ENTSO-E. With this permanent connection, Turkey aims to expand its current 400 megawatts of electricity exports and 550 megawatts of electricity imports, which it transmits via Greek and Bulgaria lines, to all of continental Europe, with the intention of upgrading its electricity trading volume to around 1,000 megawatts in the first stage. Furthermore, Turkey, which has been keeping a 900-megawatt reserve available to maintain the quality of sustainable electricity, will drop this reserve to around 400 megawatts. It will also save 500 megawatts of electricity after the permanent connection is actualized. Currently, the ENTSO-E has 41 member electricity companies from 34 countries.