The ambition to create a European Energy Union derives from several different perspectives, where efforts to reduce Europe’s energy dependency is one. Another perspective is potential large-scale economies that could benefit the European economy. The Lisbon treaty gave a legal base but the current differences among the member states are vital and many potential conflicts are still outside of the EU’s competence. Will the European Union be able to succeed in creating a well functioning European Energy Union?
Possible discussion points:
- What efforts are needed to remove remaining obstacles to ensuring a well-functioning interconnected and integrated cross-border energy market?
- What new infrastructure is needed to accomplish the internal dimension of the energy market?
- How should the European Union support diversification among energy sources?
- Which role will renewable energy sources have and to what extent would we need to accept conventional fossil fuel to produce a sufficient level of energy within the European Union?
- Should the European Union support those member states by deciding to exploit unconventional gas and oil resources?
- How should we achieve an external energy policy that contributes to ensuring safe, secure, sustainable and affordable energy?
- How vulnerable is the European Union to political pressure due to its dependency on primary oil and gas imports?
- How will the Energy Union affect global security issues?
- How should the new infrastructure be financed and to what extent should the European Union intervene?
- How should we find the right balance between the member state competence (taxes, energy mix, regulations etc.) from a subsidiarity perspective and the decision-making on the EU level?
Speaker line-up
Fredrick Federley Member of the European Parliament, ITRE Committee
Juraj Nociar Head of Cabinet of Vice-President Maro_ _ef_ovi_, Energy Union, European Commission
Bart Van Vooren Senior Associate – EU Regulatory & Trade, ALTIUS
Nick Mabey Chief Executive and Founder Director of E3G (Third Generation Environmentalism)
Vera Brenzel Head of EU Representative Office, E.ON
Moderator: Prof Sami Andoura Senior Research Fellow, Jacques Delors Institute
