As part of the ministerial meeting of the High Level Group on Central and South Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity (CESEC), the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, held discussions on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 January in Athens, Greece, on the future of electricity networks in the region and cooperation in the field of electricity.
“Since the last time we met in Ljubljana in 2021, European energy markets and policies have undergone one of the most challenging and turbulent periods in recent history”, said the Commissioner in a speech to the Energy Ministers of CESEC, which includes the EU countries of the region, the Western Balkans, Moldova and Ukraine.
“The CESEC region has much to be proud of. You have successfully completed many of the priority infrastructure projects and market integration actions”, she continued.
Co-chairing the meeting with the Greek Minister for the Environment and Energy, Theodoros Skylakakis, Commissioner Simson welcomed the ministerial conclusions and the updated action plans for electricity, renewable energies and gas.
The aim of the meeting was to examine the deployment of renewable energies and planning future electricity networks, the role of renewable gases and hydrogen in achieving the EU’s objectives, and the importance of diversifying gas imports.
Ms Simson highlighted a number of achievements, such as the launch of commercial operations on the second electricity interconnection line between Greece and Bulgaria.
On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, she also met the Transmission System Operators (TSOs) who are leading the Vertical Corridor initiative, which aims to enable bi-directional flows of natural gas from north to south and vice versa.
“This would help ensure energy supplies to Ukraine and Moldova and enhance the overall energy security of the region”, Kadri Simson was pleased to say on the X social network. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)