Energy and climate ministers agree on joint action at informal meeting

During this meeting, the ministers discussed ways to facilitate transition to a low-carbon economy in the member countries of the Energy Community and approved the formation of the Energy Community’s Climate Working Group composed of ministers and deputy ministers for energy and climate. The Group will hold its meetings twice a year and will focus on integrated energy issues and a climate action plan for the Contracting Parties to ensure the coordination of their actions at the regional level as well.

The ministers also reasserted their countries’ commitments to the Paris deal and agreed to use the Climate Working Group as a general platform for discussing international climate policy issues on the eve of the next meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Johannes Hahn, the Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations, addressed the participants of the first-ever regional meeting of energy and environment ministers and urged them to integrate their energy sectors and climate policies like in the EU. He expressed full support for the closing of the legislative gap between the Contracting Parties and the EU Member States. On the second day of the meeting, progress was achieved with the discussion of amendments to the Energy Community Treaty in the context of preparations for the meeting of the Council of Ministers scheduled for October 20, 2017.

The meeting participants included 12 ministers and deputy ministers of the Contracting Parties, observers, the Deputy Director General of DG Energy and the Director of DG Climate Action.v