Brussels, 11/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - Under the chairmanship of Slovak Economy Minister Peter Ziga, EU energy ministers at their informal meeting in Bratislava on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 July will discuss governance of the energy union, the relationship between energy prices and competitiveness and the EU strategy for liquefied natural gas (LNG).
On Tuesday afternoon, an initial joint working session with environment and climate ministers will be devoted to sustainable financing and a new governance system that will allow the EU to achieve its energy and climate targets. Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic, who is heading up the energy union project, will set out his views on governance of the energy union as the best instrument for the transition to a safer, more sustainable energy system.
To take forward the discussions on governance, which already draw on the Commission guidelines on national integrated energy and climate plans and the foundations laid by the Energy Council of 27 November (EUROPE 11439), the Slovak Presidency has decided to articulate the debate around three questions: What basic elements and key information should these plans include in view of national planning processes, EU-wide comparability of the plans and the collective achievement of energy union objectives in all five dimensions? Where are the possibilities for effective streamlining of reporting obligations? What is the appropriate design of the coordination process in view of regional cooperation on the integrated plans?
On Wednesday morning, energy ministers will discuss energy prices and their impact on competitiveness. To guide the debate, the Presidency has asked two representatives for industry to set out their views: John Cooper, director general of the European association of refining companies, FuelsEurope, and Dr James Watson, chief executive of the photovoltaic industry, SolarPower Europe.
The Presidency will also put three questions to the delegations: Are the different recent trends in energy prices underpinned by market fundamentals or are policy, regulatory/legislative or fiscal measures more significant in determining energy prices? How can we ensure such an approach to achieving the EU energy and climate objectives, one that provides price signals for the energy market and consumers while taking into account the impact of different policies on energy prices and costs for EU industry and households? Are there any more specific measures which should be considered to help decrease energy prices and costs and the burden on EU business?
The final, two-stage discussion (partly in a working session and then over lunch) will be devoted to the EU strategy on LNG, tabled by the Commission in February (EUROPE 11484). In addition to a presentation of the strategy by Sefcovic and a contribution by the chair of the European Parliament industry and energy committee Jerzy Buzek, the Slovak Presidency has invited the special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs leading the Bureau of Energy Resources at the US Department of State, Amos J Hochstein.
The Presidency will also provide four questions to guide the debate: What do you consider to be the most pressing current issue and the biggest future challenge from the perspective of energy security in the EU? How can we most effectively seize the opportunities for diversification of routes and sources in order to minimise potential supply risks and what are your expectations for the future share of LNG in the EU gas market? What regulatory and infrastructure preconditions need to be met to fully utilise the potential of LNG and storage in a way that will help us to deliver the policy objectives of the energy union, and could high-level groups help prioritise infrastructure and actions? What should be the role of bilateral dialogues and multilateral partnerships in bringing about a liquid and transparent global LNG market? (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)