The Latvian Presidency in collaboration with the European Commission (EC) is organising an event to encourage the discussion among the EU Energy Ministers, representatives from the EU institutions and international organisations, academics and other energy policy-makers on the new EC initiative on creation of a European Energy Union, its key elements and concept.

The event taking place in Riga serves as the first step to further the process (Riga process in formation of the EU Energy Union) in which the EC will state their views (to be published in January 2015) in order to continue the discussion during the Meeting of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (5 March) which would thus provide the opportunity to address the issues in the European Council in March and review definite action plan.

The conference will take place on 6 February in two parts: the first part will be a closed discussion for the Ministers for Energy and the second part will be a public event for all the stakeholders with five panel discussions on the key elements of the Energy Union (security, solidarity and confidence, fully integrated internal energy market, demand control for energy resources by promoting energy efficiency, economics decarbonisation and technology development – investment in research and innovation).

The Vice-President of the European Commission, M. Šefčovič, the Minister for Economics, D. Reizniece-Ozola, the Commissioner for the Climate Action and Energy, M. Arias Cañete, representatives from the EU Parliament and the International Energy Agency will take part in the first part of the meeting and several high-level energy experts from the EU institutions and organisations will take part in the panel discussions.

For more information, e-mail to: energy.conference2015@em.gov.lv.

Watch the recording of the conference.