Brussels, 01/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday June 1, European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, in charge of Energy Union, travelled to Latvia as part of the Energy Union Tour.
Sefcovic will meet with Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma and Minister of Economics Dana Reizniece Ozola, who currently chairs the Energy Council, to discuss the European Commission's preliminary analysis of the opportunities the Energy Union will bring for Latvia.
Ahead of his trip to Latvia, the Commissioner pointed out: “Latvia is a strong supporter of a European energy policy that is based on solidarity, trust and security. It has also been very active on regional cooperation, for instance in the framework of BEMIP. I am therefore looking forward to bringing the Energy Union to Latvia”.
The Energy Union dialogue tour will contribute to the first report on the progress made with the Energy Union that the Commission will present in October. It will be an important tool for following the progress accomplished at European, national and regional levels and getting this priority Juncker Commission project up and running. On 18 May last, Šefèoviè drew up a balance sheet (see EUROPE 11316) of the initiatives carried out at a European level to put into practice the Energy Union. The strategic framework for the Energy Union was presented last February.
On Monday, a visit to Riga Technical University was part of Šefèoviè's programme, as was a meeting with the Chairman of the Riga City Council to discuss a series of issues related to the smart cities agenda, such as energy efficiency in buildings. Riga is one of the first European capitals that signed the Covenant of Mayors.
sefcovic will participate in the first plenary conference of the Conference of Community and European Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) where he will also be providing an update on European Union energy policy. Jerzy Buzek, chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy of the European Parliament, and Petr Hlobil, chair of the Green 10, will also be attending. (Emmanuel Hagry)