| ROSTREC at Policy Maker's Dinner in Bruxelles |
 |
 |
 |
|
Eurisc Foundation EURISC has organised with Friends of Europe and the Security and Defence Agenda, a policymakers' dinner entitled "Is Europe's energy security policy a reality or an ambition?". The dinner was held in Brussels on Wednesday 26 May at the Bibliothèque Solvay. Policymakers' dinners are designed to encourage specialists in a clearly defined policy area to discuss issues actively. With distinguished speakers like:
- Prof. Dr. Adrian Gheorghe, Senior Scientist, EURISC Foundation,
- Mr. Heinz Hilbrecht, Director, Security of Supply, Energy Markets & Networks, Directorate General for Energy, European Commission
- Julijus Grubliauskas, Analyst, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
and moderated by the Director of the Security and Defence Agenda, Mr. Giles Merritt, the event entertained on a grate scale senior EU and NATO officials, Members of the European Parliament, Diplomatic Representations Counsellors, academics, NGOs and industry representatives.
General topics of the event
Four years have passed since the EU was alerted by a European Commission Green Paper on themurgent need to secure its energy supplies, and two years since NATO’s Bucharest summit mandated the alliance to devise a strategy for energy security.
Since then the pressures on oil and gas supplies have intensified, with European public opinion uneasily observing Russia’s refusal to deal directly with NATO. At the same time, there have been unsettling fluctuations in spot energy prices and a set back to the COP15 climate change summit in Copenhagen last December that has done nothing to reassure investors in renewable energies. The EU’s new Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger promises a more determined policy push to address Europe’s imported energy dependence, the workings of its own internal energy market and the pressing question of environmental standards that still look very hard to attain.
In February 2010, a new project to deliver Azerbaijani gas to Romania added itself to the existing competitor projects Nabucco and Nordstream project. What implications do these potentially conflicting projects have for security of supply in Europe?
Can Europe’s citizens expect to see a determined new energy strategy that will also allay security concerns? Or will the Barroso II commission deliver a package that is more reminiscent of earlier ones that turned out to be statements of ambition rather than of effective new policies?
Special topics and new trendsROSTREC – is a project jointly implemented by the EURISC Foundation with the Norwegian Atlantic Committee and supported by Innovation Norway and Norway Grants. All player in the energy and energy security field highlight the major importance of the promotion of the energy efficiency and renewable energy sources and recognize the necessity of the development of a coherent strategy for the security of the critical infrastructures. It appears as obvious the necessity to have an updated and complete document with reference to the two crucial aspects: energy efficiency and critical infrastructures in an integrated approach, considering also the new EU member statute of Romania. This is the document, ROSTREC project aims to produce. The share of the international experience in this field would be of a great support to the national efforts to meet this challenge. A number of well-known Norwegian and other international experts already expressed their interest and availability in being part of the project team. The objective of the present project is to promote the energy efficiency and renewable energy sources together with the securing of an adequate protection of the critical infrastructures, by developing an Energy Security Strategy for Romania. The document should revise, update and complete the existing strategies in the field, with a much larger vision, taking into account: Romania new statute of EU membership (with focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy sources); the international experience (mainly Norwegian); new developments in energy security and critical infrastructures protection. ENERGY GAMING – a new trend presented by Prof. Dr. Adrian GheorgheUncertainty is the key factor that generates change and consequently has to be addressed by policy makers on a daily basis. As many aspects cannot be tested in practice, policy makers and experts have to rely on synthetic tools to simulate and comprehend different energy mixes scenarios each with a different degree of security of energy and a distinct area of consequences. Due to this increased complexity of the security environment, policy formation should be taken in an informed manner hence the need for a simplified decision aiding tool that uses the latest technologies and research. Understanding of the big picture, “Energy Simulation Games” are successful in providing a mechanism for visualizing and identifying the critical elements of the complex problem and relating these elements to the situation as a whole, as well as combining the analysis of this whole with an appropriate attention to detail e.g. location of a power plant and the societal risks. This tool has to be able to explore future scenarios taking into account not only computable data, but also potential accidents, unforeseen events or breakthrough developments. The results have to provide key insights into the possible outcomes from the EU and NATO perspectives in the changeable geo-political and technological environment. Special Guests From different specific EU Directorate General: - Ana Arana Antelo, Deputy Head of Cabinet of EU Commissioner for Research & Innovation, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn - Steven Everts, Member of Cabinet of EU Commission Vice-President & High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton - Anne Houtman, Director, General Policy Directorate General for Energy European Commission - Niels Ladefoged, Personal Assistant to EU Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard NATO and Representatives to NATO: - Jamie Shea, Director for Policy Planning, Private Office of the Secretary General (NATO) - Mirela Maghiar, Deputy Permanent Representative, Delegation of Romania to NATO High Representatives from Romania: - Ovidiu Dranga, Ambassador, Embassy of Romania to Belgium - Dragos Andrei, Minister Counsellor,Permanent Representation of Romania to the EU - Sergiu Celac, Senior Advisor, National Centre for Sustainable Development, Romania - Christian Sima, Chief Executive Officer, WBS Holding - a.o. |