Energy security is gaining prominence and is driving policies which ensure the uninterrupted energy supply in Europe, and SE Europe in particular. An alarming series of crises in its vicinity, with the latest being the USA/Israel-Iran conflict, have highlighted energy security as a key policy challenge for SE Europe. In this respect, the Institute of Energy for South-East Europe held, on March 19, a most timely and useful Roundtable on energy supply in Europe, and Southeast Europe (SEE) in particular. IENE’s “Roundtable on Energy Security in SE Europe” took place in the European Parliament building in Brussels, under the auspices of independent MEP Nikolas Farantouris, Jean Monnet Professor of Energy Law.
IENE’s Chairman and Executive Director, Mr. Costis Stambolis, chaired and provided introductory remarks to the opening session of the event, followed by Prof. Nikolas Farantouris, Member of the European Parliament - Jean Monnet Professor of Energy Law, who welcomed the participants.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Yannis Maniatis (MEP, Vice Chair – Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Member ITRE, former Minister of Environment, Energy & Climate Change) outlined the current challenges faced by the EU and SE Europe in regard to energy security and their effect on EU green policies. Commentary followed by Mr. John Roberts (Energy Security Specialist, Methinks Ltd, Scotland, UK, Visiting Research Fellow, IENE), Dr. Amit Mor (IENE Partner & CEO of Eco Energy, Financial & Strategic Consulting and Senior Lecturer at Reichman University), and Dr. Charles Ellinas (Senior Fellow, Global Energy Center of the Atlantic Council, Senior Visiting Research Fellow, IENE).
The 2nd session, under the moderation of Mr. Michael B. Christides, Ambassador (a.h.), Co-Chair of the Balkans and Black Sea Forum and IENE’s Diplomatic Advisor, focused on the energy security dimension in SE Europe. The Chairman of IENE, Mr. Costis Stambolis, presented in brief the Institute’s flagship study, “SEE Energy Outlook 2025/2026”, setting thus the framework for the experts’ discussion that followed. Mr. Andras Hujber (Deputy Head of Unit for Relationship with Member States and Energy Community, DG Energy) presented the overall EU institutions perspective on the subject.
Mr. Ronal Pinto (Principal Insight Analyst- Gas & LNG, Kpler), Mr. Jakub Przyborowicz (Brussels Representation Office Manager, Gas Transmission Operator GAZ-SYSTEM S.A., GIE, Chair of the CEE-SEE working group, Brussels, Belgium), Prof. Neven Duic, (Co-Chair Energy Steering Panel, EASAC), as well as Prof. Ionut Purica (IENE Partner, Executive Director, Advisory Center for Energy and Environment - Romanian Academy, Romania) and Dr. Halil Yurdakul Yigitguden (IENE Partner, Independent Energy Advisor, Ankara, Turkiye), discussed the various aspects of energy security in SE Europe.
A Roundtable Discussion on Oil and Gas followed, examining the upstream, midstream and downstream dimension, as well as subjects concerning LNG and market operation in SE Europe. The participants included Ms. Maria Karagiannidou-Rosiek (Head of Policy, IOGP Europe, The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers - IOGP, Brussels), Ms. Liana Gouta (Director General, FuelsEurope, Brussels), Mr. Kostis Oikonomopoulos (Petroleum Geologist, Research Fellow, Research Coordinator, IENE), Mr. Nurzhan Aitmakhanov (Counsellor of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Brussels), and Mr. Murad Heydarov, (Head of Regional Office for Balkan Region, SOCAR). This first Roundtable Discussion was moderated by Mr. John Roberts.
Energy Efficiency, Renewables & Hydrogen were discussed by the Roundtable Discussion Group B, which was moderated by IENE’s General Secretary, Mr. Nikos Sofianos, Chairman of the Institute’s RES Committee. Mr. Konstantinos Theofylaktos, Deputy Chairman of IENE and Chairman of the Institute’s Energy Efficiency Committee, Mr. Ivan Delibasic, Executive Director EU Advocacy of Hydrogen Europe, Brussels, Belgium, as well as Mr. Dimitris Triantafyllopoulos, Managing Director of Hellenic Hydrogen, examined the EU green energy agenda and its implementation in SE Europe, as well as its effect on the regional energy security.
The Roundtable Discussion Group C, focusing on Electricity & Gas Grids, included Mr. Panagiotis Panousos Director, System Operation, ENTSOG), Ms. Kristin Lucie Munthe (Board Member, ENTSO-E, Brussels, Belgium), Mr. Davor Bajs (Electricity Infrastructure Expert, Energy Community Secretariat), and Ms. Aliki van Heek (Independent nuclear consultant, Beta Research GmbH, Associate to Nuclear-21, Vienna, Austria). Dr. Charles Ellinas, Senior Fellow at the Global Energy Center of the Atlantic Council, and Senior Visiting Research Fellow of IENE, co-ordinated this highly topical discussion, which underscored the importance of electricity and gas interconnection in SE Europe, especially under the current highly turbulent circumstances.
The Protection of Energy Infrastructure was the subject of the fourth Roundtable Discussion Group. As the experts that participated in the discussion, the energy infrastructure in SE Europe has, in certain areas, rapidly developed during the recent years, while in others an extended update is highly required. Thus, as several crises in adjacent regions have been accumulating over the last years, its protection is an urgent and, at the same time, multi-faceted matter. The panel, moderated by Mr. John Roberts, included Ms. Kristina Rimkunaite (Subject Matter Expert, Research and Lessons Learned Division, NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence, Vilnius, Lithuania), Mr. Konstantinos Ι. Chatzifotis (European Affairs Manager, Motor Oil Group), Mr. Felipe Castro-Barrigon (Policy Officer, Energy Security and Safety Unit, DG Energy, European Commission), and Mr. Vytautas Butrimas (Industrial cybersecurity consulting, Voting member, ISA 99, Member, Lithuania).
IENE’s Roundtable on Energy Security in SE Europe closed with concluding remarks by the organizers.
Watch the full video of the event:
