The Joint Eurogas-IENE Workshop Successfully Held in Brussels

Eurogas, an association representing the European gas wholesale, retail and distribution sectors towards the EU institutions, and the Institute of Energy for SE Europe (IENE) joined forces and convened a half-day high-level workshop at Eurogas’s offices in Brussels last Wednesday, January 22, in order to discuss latest developments related to “Gas Supply and Competition in SE Europe”.

The IENE-Eurogas workshop focused on the SE European energy perspective, bringing together some major gas and LNG actors from the region. As the arrival of new gas volumes from several destinations in SE Europe is imminent and will take place almost simultaneously in the course of the next few months, there are bound to be important repercussions in terms of trading and supply patterns. Other topics covered in this highly motivating event included regional gas market issues and the key challenges that prevent their future developments such as lack of adequate gas interconnections and high dependence on hydrocarbon imports as well as the significant potential for upstream and downstream development.

Therecently announced European Green Deal, which is a set of policy initiatives brought forward by theEuropean Commissionwith the overarching aim of making Europe climate neutral in 2050 and the latest decision taken by the European Investment Bank to stop financing fossil fuel projects, including gas, as early as 2021, were extensively discussed, mainly by Ms. Maria Spyraki, Member of the European Parliament and Member of the ITRE Committee, and by Mr. Costis Stambolis, Chairman and Executive Director, IENE in his opening address.

Prof. Nicholas Farantouris, Jean Monnet Professor of EU Law, International & European Studies Dept., University of Piraeus, was the moderator of the first panel discussion, which focused mainly on the latest developments regarding gas infrastructure projects in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region. The speakers of the first panel included Mr. Fernando Kalligas, Head of the Management Office, DESFA, Mr. Dimitris Mezartasoglou, Head of Research, IENE and Dr Charles Ellinas, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council and Senior Research Associate of IENE, who also analysed the latest geopolitical issues related to the Exclusive Economic Zones of the East Mediterranean countries.

In addition, Mr. Gunnar Steck, Executive Advisor Wholesale, Eurogas, was the moderator of the second panel discussion, which mainly focused on the latest developments in the SE European gas markets from a TSO and DSO point of view. The speakers of the second panel included Mr. Robert Bošnjak, Head of Strategic Development Department of Croatia’s Plinacro, Ms. Aura Sabadus, Senior Journalist, ICIS, Mr. Milan Zdravković, DSO Executive Director of Serbia’s JP SRBIJAGAS, Mr. Gokhan Yardim, Partner & Manager, ADG Anadolu Natural Gas Consultancy, Turkey and Mr. Andrii Prokofiev, Head of Business Development Division, Gas TSO of Ukraine.

Dr. James Watson, Secretary General of Eurogas summed up the proceedings of the workshop in his closing remarks. The workshop was attended by more than 70 participants from across all sectors (policy makers, industry and media), highlighting the importance of gas trading and supply patterns in the SE European region.

The presentations and photos of the workshop are available at: https://eurogas.org/media_centre/eurogas-and-iene-workshop-gas-supply-and-competition-in-se-europe-22-january-2020-brussels/