Chairperson of the Committee on Economy, Finance and Budget Mr Predrag Sekulić took part in the Meeting of Chairpersons of Energy Committees, organised within the Bulgarian presidency of the Council of the European Union, held in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 14 May 2018.
During their introductory remarks, Ms Tsveta Karayancheva, Speaker of the Bulgarian National Assembly, and Mr Delyan Dobrev, Chairperson of the Energy Committee in Bulgarian National Assembly, said that Bulgaria was actively participating in the formulation and implementation of the EU's energy policy, based on the European Commission's strategy and composed of five interrelated dimensions: security, solidarity and trust; fully integrated internal energy market; energetic efficiency; climate action - the decarbonisation of the economy; and research, innovation and competitiveness. Following the introductory remarks, the participants held discussions during three sessions.
During the discussions, the participants said that the EU can be sustainable if it reflects the specificities of individual member states and uses non-discriminatory approach and technological neutrality, and that all Member States strive for an energy union that will ensure safe, affordable and low-carbon energy for all Europeans. The meeting, inter alia, explored high prices of natural gas in the Eastern Europe compared to the Western Europe, and dependence of the region (Central and Southeast Europe) on one source of natural gas supply, as well as the need for diversification. In this regard, it was estimated that about 4 billion euros per annum would be saved if the region had access to natural gas at prices comparable to prices in the Western Europe.
At the end of the meeting it was assessed that promotion of the regional cooperation and good connectivity in Europe was essential for providing safe, functional and approachable energy environment. Therefore, the main aspect of that process is achieving interconnectivity of the region, which is a good opportunity for economic development of the Western Balkan countries.
