Brussels, 16/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - The Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of the Energy Union, Maros Sefcovic, is continuing his tour to promote dialogue with the member states on the issue of Energy Union, with a visit to the Hungarian authorities in Budapest on Tuesday 16 June.
Sefcovic is expected to have a meeting with the Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó, with whom he will discuss the Commission's preliminary analyses regarding the possible opportunities contained within the Energy Union for Hungary. A joint meeting with the three Hungarian Parliament committees (foreign affairs, economic affairs and sustainable development) was also planned.
The Commissioner was expected to meet stakeholders from the Hungarian energy sector, representatives from reflection groups and civil society, make a speech on the Energy Union to the EU House in Budapest and visit the Európa Bridge. Sefcovic is also expected to visit the MOM cultural centre and an EU co-funded energy efficiency demonstration project.
Before his trip to Hungary, the Commissioner explained: “Hungary has a good level of inter-connectivity to the regional electricity grids. Yet, it can still benefit a great deal from the Energy Union, through increasing its energy efficiency, gaining better diversification of supply and more targeted energy research funds”.
The Energy Union dialogue tour will underpin the first report on the State of the Energy Union, which the Commission will be presenting to the European Parliament and Council in the second half of 2015. It will be an important tool for following up the progress achieved at European, national and regional levels, in the quest to implement a project that is very dear to the heart of the Juncker Commission. (Emmanuel Hagry)