November 5, 2010


On the eve of 2011, in which Hungary and Poland will assume the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, Warsaw hosted the Twelfth Regional Partnership Meeting of Parliamentary Leaders. The forum was attended by the parliamentary chairS of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Poland. Invited to participate were also the Parliaments’ Presidents of Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia.

The forum held a discussion on the link between energy security and the Eastern Partnership - topics on which Poland and Hungary plan to focus the attention of the member states in the next year, when they will take over the presidency of the EU. The EU Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger took part in the discussion. The debate outlined the main issues for providing energy security in the EU to include the sources and routes of energy supply, the measures for a joint response when a breach of energy supply occurs, further development of regional energy markets and enhancement of the EU external energy policy. Presidents of parliaments shared the opinion that along with the construction of energy infrastructure, the political cooperation in terms of the energy strategy of Europe for 2011-2020 and the development of external energy policy are critical.

Addressing the forum, Tsacheva said that the main European energy policy priority should be to ensure the security of supplies with particular emphasis on building common networks and system-to-system links. It is also essential to make full use of local energy resources in the EU by applying up-to-date technology and highly efficient and low-emission solutions. It is the interconnection among the EU markets and the full use of energy resources that will make it possible to achieve greater flexibility and solidarity among the nations, Tsacheva said.

She recalled that Bulgaria has drafted a national energy strategy for the period until 2020 which will create a long-range framework for the sustainable development of the energy sector and for attaining the EU strategic energy objectives. Bulgaria also lays much stress on building a suitable energy infrastructure which will ensure continuous energy delivery and will guarantee the security and diversity of energy supplies as well as the physical possibility for the regional energy market to function as part of the common EU market, she said.

In conclusion, Tsacheva said that Bulgaria is planning to adopt a national energy efficiency strategy for the period until 2020 and is preparing a national energy efficiency action plan for 2012-2014.

The meeting ended with the adoption of a joint declaration. The next such forum will be held in Bratislava in April 2011.