Energy Community Parliamentary Plenum: Members of Parliament discuss response to high energy prices and security of supply concerns

In the lead up to next week’s Ministerial Council, Parliamentarians of the Energy Community Contracting Parties and the European Parliament exchanged views on the most pressing issues in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, concerns about security of energy supply and the unprecedented rise in energy prices. The Parliamentary Plenum meeting was chaired by Inna Sovsun, Chair of Subcommittee on European Integration and Member of the Committee on Energy of Verkhovna Rada on behalf of the Ukrainian Presidency of the Energy Community 2022. Morten Petersen, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy of the European Parliament delivered opening remarks.

The Plenum discussed how to address the impacts of the price surge and ensure energy affordability for citizens under the framework of the Energy Community. It was underlined that the current crisis presented an opportunity to accelerate the energy transition and European energy market integration and emergency measures should not jeopardize long-term goals.

The Energy Community Parliamentary Plenum brings together representatives from each national parliament of the Contracting Parties (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine) and representatives of the European Parliament. The objective of the Energy Community Parliamentary Plenum is to address shared energy challenges and support the establishment of a European energy market which works to the benefit of citizens.

The Plenum Meeting took place back-to-back to a workshop which outlined ongoing Energy Community initiatives to advance the just energy transition and the key role of Parliaments in advancing this process, organized jointly with the Green Parliamentary Groups from the Western Balkans in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.