IENE participated in a public consultation meeting which organized by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Belgrade on Friday, October 19IENE participated in a public consultation meeting which organized by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Belgrade on Friday, October 19. The consultation meeting aimed to provide an opportunity for stakeholders and for relevant civil society organisations (CSOs) and selected institutes to express their views and provide input related to their fields of expertise for the preparation of the new EBRD Strategy, which will guide the Bank’s operational priorities in the energy sector for a 5-year period. The Participation in the consultation meeting was by invitation only.
IENE was represented by its Senior Research Associate, Mr. Nicholas Sofianos, who attended this meeting and submitted his comments and his critique on the EBRD Draft Energy Sector Strategy. The areas covered in his commentary among others included energy poverty issues, the necessity of both conventional and renewable energy sources, the transformation of the electricity network, the urgency of the cross border trade, the need for further development of the upstream sector in the region, and the need for bigger funding on R&D activities and innovation. Mr. Sofianos stressed the importance of regional cooperation as a key building block for the European Integration, since as he noted, close cooperation between major actors can advance EU energy policy objectives, help integrate energy markets and increase security of supply. Regarding the further development of RES in SEE region he noted that the higher penetration of RES in the electrical system of a country, the greater must be the transformation of the electricity network as a whole, while the new challenge in the electricity sector today is how to integrate efficiently and manage RES into the networks ensuring a reliable electricity supply.
The event started with the presentation of EBRD’s draft energy strategy by Kevin Bortz, Director of Strategy, Energy & Natural Resources in EBRD London, followed by a plenary discussion on the new draft. In the second part of the event two parallel groups were formed, the first focused on Renewables and the second on Hydrocarbons. The two groups were moderated by Ms. Maria de Melo and Mr. Adil Hanif, Principal Bankers in EBRD London. The event was attended by senior executives, energy experts, scientists and energy professionals from Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, FYROM, Albania, Bulgaria and Greece. The draft EBRD Energy Sector Strategy will come into force in January 2019.
