EU Commissioner Simson in Greece to discuss electricity cooperation 

Brussels, 18 January 2024

On 18-19 January, Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, is in Athens, Greece, to co-host a Ministerial meeting of the High-Level Group on Central and South-Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity (CESEC) with the Greek Minister of Environment and Energy, Theodoros Skylakakis.

CESEC was established in 2015 and works to accelerate the integration of gas and electricity markets in the region with a focus on cross-border and trans-European energy infrastructure projects. Its work is key to enable the clean energy transition in the region, while boosting security of supply.

The Ministerial meeting will look towards future priorities, including the deployment of renewable energy and the planning of future electricity grids, the role of renewable gases and hydrogen in delivering REPower EU objectives, and the importance of diversifying gas imports, among others. In particular, the Commissioner will support the Ministers to agree on new ambition and new priority energy infrastructure projects and policies for the region, both in the gas and electricity sectors, with a stronger focus on renewables.

In the margins of the Ministerial meeting, the Commissioner will attend a ceremony on the recent completion of the electricity interconnector between Greece and Bulgaria. She will also hold a bilateral meeting with the Romanian Minister of Energy, Sebastian Burduja.

Commissioner Simson will deliver remarks at the beginning and end of the Ministerial CESEC meeting, following which she will also give a joint press statement with Minister Skylakakis. Her remarks to the press will be made available here. More information will be made available at the end of the meeting in a written press statement here.