The European Union’s energy ministers and the Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, will meet in Prague on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 October for an informal meeting to progress discussions on emergency measures to tackle soaring energy prices and the structural reform of the EU’s electricity market, as well as to take stock of Europe’s energy security in the run-up to winter.
The event will begin on Tuesday evening with an exchange of views on hydrogen and “its potential within the framework of the energy transition and the current geopolitical situation”, after a speech by the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, said the Czech Presidency of the EU Council.
The following day, the Commissioner and ministers will discuss with Mr Birol the European Commission’s roadmap for further emergency measures at EU level to tackle high energy prices.
This document was presented to the Member States on Wednesday 5 October (see EUROPE 13036/2), 2 days before an informal summit of the 27 Heads of State or Government, which highlighted the persistence of divisions (see EUROPE 13038/1).
The ministers will thus try to converge further on a common position on the measures to take in order to express clear expectations to the Commission regarding the reduction of gas’ influence on electricity prices and a potential cap on gas prices.
“All Member States use the same words, not necessarily with the same meaning, so we have to narrow that down for the Commission”, explained a senior European official.
They will also discuss how to implement the EU’s joint energy procurement platform.
A new extraordinary Energy Council expected in November
According to a senior European official, Member States expect the Commission to present an emergency package - in the form of a proposal for a EU Council regulation - “within 1 or 2 weeks” so that ministers can have a first exchange of views at their next formal meeting (‘Energy Council’) on Tuesday 25 October.
The Czech Presidency would then convene a new extraordinary Energy Council in November to adopt these measures, after amending them.
Market reform and energy security
In the afternoon, the ministers and the commissioner will discuss potential avenues for structural reform of the EU electricity market, in the presence of the Director of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), Christian Zinglersen, and the Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Thomas Östros.
In between these two discussions, they will have lunch to discuss the energy preparedness of their countries before the upcoming winter. The Energy Community Contracting Parties and the Director of the Energy Community Secretariat, Artur Lorkowski, will also participate in this discussion.
Ms Simson will have bilateral exchanges with Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and minister of infrastructure and regional development, Andrei Spînu, and Ukraine’s minister of energy, German Galushchenko, among others, the Commission announced.
Other European countries such as Norway, Switzerland and Iceland will also be represented at the informal meeting. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)