As approved by the Ambassadors of the EU Member States on 25 September (see EUROPE 13490/10), the items on the agenda of the Energy Council, to be held on the morning of 15 October in Luxembourg, will focus on the contribution of the energy sector to Europe’s competitiveness and the divergence of wholesale electricity prices within the EU.
European Energy Ministers will hold an initial exchange of views on the Draghi report on the future of European competitiveness (see EUROPE 13478/1).
They will then discuss the divergence in wholesale electricity prices in south-east Europe.
This exchange of views follows on from the letter sent by the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to the European Commission on 13 September, calling in particular for an increase in cross-border capacity to cope with the high electricity prices experienced by several countries in south-eastern Europe this summer, including Greece, Romania and Bulgaria (see EUROPE 13482/16).
Then, in preparation for winter, the European Commission will take stock of the EU’s security of supply situation, as outlined in the latest State of the Energy Union Report (see EUROPE 13480/2). The Commission will also present Ukraine’s energy situation, following new EU aid of 160 million to support Ukraine’s energy system (see EUROPE 13486/1).
The Commission will also present an overview of the REPowerEU Strategy and the implementation of the Fit for 55 Package.
The Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU will brief ministers on the Geothermal Energy Summit held in Budapest on 20 September.
Finally, Cyprus will present the Joint Statement by nine EU Mediterranean countries aimed at “transforming the Mediterranean Region into a Green Energy Corridor”, following the MED9 Energy Ministerial Summit on 23 September (see EUROPE 13488/10).
Without confirmation at this stage, the countries of the “Nuclear Alliance” and those of the “Friends of Renewables” could meet in the margins of the Council (see EUROPE 13363/3).
To see the agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/dnr (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)