Brussels, 11/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - As part of his tour of EU member and neighbouring states to promote dialogue about the Energy Union, the Vice President of the Commission in charge of this dossier, Maros Sefcovic, visited Oslo on Thursday 11 and Friday 12 February, where he had a meeting with the Minister for Energy and Oil, Tord Lien, the Minister for the Environment, Vidar Helgesen and Foreign Minister, Borge Brende.
During his visit to Norway, Sefcovic is also expected to meet members of the national parliament, take part in the Oslo Forum on energy, make a speech on the Energy Union and sustainable transition to the Norwegian Parliament and visit the hydraulic plant in Kvilldal.
Before leaving on his journey, Sefcovic stated “Norway is a very important ally of the EU. It is our second largest exporter as well as an ally in calling for a transition towards a decarbonised economy as part of the imperative to stop climate change”.
On Thursday, the Commission emphasised that Norway is a key strategic partner for the EU and a major and reliable supplier of oil and gas. The vast hydropower capacity of Norway - the source of 96% of its electricity - makes it a partner to balance variable renewable production in northern Europe that is expected to grow in the next decade.
The launch of the North Sea Link Interconnector will play a central role in this connection. This is the world's longest undersea interconnector and is also an EU Project of Common Interest and earmarked for Connecting Europe Facility funding. Energy cooperation between the EU and Norway was at the centre of the third energy conference between the two partners on 5 February last in Brussels (see EUROPE 11487). (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)