It is extremely important for the countries from the region to work together to speed up and strengthen the energy cooperation in Southeastern Europe, Head of State Rosen Plevneliev said, who held talks with Maros Sefcovic, Vice president of the EC in charge of Energy Union, at 2 Dondukov street. Commissioner Sefcovic is on an official visit to Bulgaria within his tour of the EU member states to present the benefits of building a European Energy Union (EEU).
Cooperation on the basis of market principles, sustainable growth and transparency of the energy sector will guarantee the security of the energy supplies, the Head of State highlighted at the meeting. However, in order to ensure a functioning energy market, we need an adequate connectivity of the energy infrastructure – not only for the transmission of electricity, but also of natural gas, the President said. “Bulgaria will rely on and always support the European Commission in its efforts to create a platform and an adequate framework for ensuring such a cooperation,” Rosen Plevneliev was adamant and highlighted our country’s willingness to be part of the decisions in the Energy sector on the European level. The Head of State further recalled that our country is working to ensure liberalization of the electricity market by the end of 2015.
In the President’s view, energy efficiency is also one of the most important priorities for Europe’s future energy policy.
President Rosen Plevneliev voiced his gratitude to Commissioner Maros Sefcovic for his commitment to the cause for building a European Energy Union. “We fully support the EC’s efforts to ensure improvement of the connectivity of the energy infrastructure,” the Head of State said and reiterated his support for more integration in opposition to regional isolation within the context of the challenges the countries from the region are facing.
Bulgaria may be one of the countries that will benefit most from establishing a EEU, Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said, for his part. The EC vice president briefed the Bulgarian president on the Commission’s ambitious plans by mid-2016 related to working out the legal framework of the EC on climate change and also to the transparency of the agreements in the energy sector and the directions of the agreements between the EU member states in the energy sector.
A unified European strategy on the development of the infrastructure for the preservation and transmission of natural gas is being prepared, including the construction of liquefied gas terminals on the territory of the EU. The directives on the renewable energy sources and energy efficiency will be reconsidered so that in 2017 each member state will be able to work out and present a national plan on the development of the energy sector, Commissioner Sefcovic said.
The European citizens should be acquainted with the benefits of creating a European Energy Union, so that we can enjoy their support, the vice president of the EC further said.