On Monday 22 May, the reference media on EU policy Politico organised with ENEL a conference, which ETN attended, on “Europe’s changing energy markets“.

The Vice-president of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič recalled to the assistance the big picture: to his opinion the world is now going through “a megatrend that combines low-carbon and big data challenges for energy”, which the EU needs to embrace for it is not sustainable from an environment point of view but not only: “fragmented markets killed the price signals“. This observation is the cause of the holistic approach of the Clean Energy Package, unveiled on 30 November 2016. Šefčovič stated his confidence that all the related files will be opened for trialogues (negotiations between the Commission, the Parliament and the Council) shortly and at least before the end of the current Commission College’s term (2019).

This was followed by a round table with Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric, Monique Goyens Director General of the European Consumers Organisation BEUC, MEP Kathleen Van Brempt and a representative of the forthcoming Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU. While Eurelectric’SG insisted on the will of the industry to play the game and fulfill the targets set for the EU and in the Paris Agreement, they insisted on the need for those targets to remain doable and affordable. The MEP Van Brempt called for more ambitious targets on Energy Efficiency (see news 30.05.17), up to 40%, binding target of energy savings. The BEUC DG stressed the concrete needs for the consumers and that those concrete applications must be clear, transparents and that “users do not have the time to go and search digital toys to decrease their energy bills. The representative of the Council restated the desire for the Council to find a common position on energy efficiency targets soon so the discussion with the European Parliament may start early.