Brussels, 13/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - Energy efficiency in the heating and cooling sector and regional cooperation have been taken by the Latvian Presidency of the Council as the areas of focus of discussions in the informal meeting of European energy ministers in Riga on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 April that will be chaired by Latvian Economic Affairs Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola.
The working session, in which Energy and Climate Action Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete will take part, will begin on Wednesday morning with a joint meeting with European environment ministers which will be devoted to discussion of how to accommodate preserving biodiversity and increasing the use of renewable energy sources. Ministers will share examples of national approaches to renewable energy policy planning and criteria to guide the nature-friendly development of renewables.
On Wednesday afternoon, discussions among energy ministers will focus on energy efficiency issues, with particular reference to the heating and cooling sector, in which almost half of the EU's energy consumption is to be found. The aim of the debate is to provide the Commission with political incentives for the planned strategy on heating and cooling, which the Commission promised in its strategic framework for energy union (see EUROPE 11262).
On Thursday morning, ministers will discuss regional cooperation and coordination of national energy policies. At the European Council in December 2014, European leaders recognised the crucial importance of regional cooperation for achieving the short-, medium- and long-term goals of the EU's policy. The energy union framework strategy calls on member states to cooperate and to coordinate better and to a greater extent when drafting energy policies. Using the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan (BEMIP) as an example, the Latvian Presidency will seek to highlight the benefits of regional cooperation and will step up discussions on best practices and obstacles in this area. (Emmanuel Hagry)