Panel discussion on Energy Security: Rethinking the European energy market

United Europe is cooperating with the Representation of the European Commission and the Senate of the Economy (Austria) in a two-panel discussion at the Representation of the European Commission in Austria/Vienna.

17:30 – 18:30  How did we become so dependent on Russian energy and what do we do now?

• Annika Brack, Head of EU Representative Office, Uniper, Brussels
• Monika Köppl-Turyna, Director ECO Austria
• Angela Köppl, Senior Economist, WIFO, Vienna
• Mechthild Wörsdorfer, Deputy Director-General for Energy, European Commission
• Chair: Alan Riley, Senior Fellow Atlantic Council

18:45 – 19:45 Europe’s Future Energy Prospects

• Valerie Faudon, Director General European Nuclear Society
• Andriy Kobolyev, former CEO Naftogaz
• Stephan Sharma, Chairman of the Board Energie Burgenland
• Tim Joris Kaiser, Representation of the European Commission in Austria
• Christine Materazzi-Wagner, Director Electricity E-Control
• Chair: Alan Riley, Senior Fellow Atlantic Council

The Russian war against Ukraine has changed everything for Europeans. Prices are rising exorbitantly, energy security is not guaranteed. Russia is deliberately using the gas trade as a weapon to spread uncertainty and destabilize the European market.

The European Commission is working on a coordinated approach – a European contingency plan, called the REPowerEU plan, increases energy security in the EU by replenishing gas reserves before the winter season. Is this enough? Austria gets 80% of its natural gas from Russia – an extremely high dependency that can only be reduced slowly through diversification According to a report by the Austrian Energy Agency, Austria can do without Russian natural gas imports within five years by increasing efficiency (SMART GRID, decentralized systems (photovoltaics), energy conservation, supply diversification and synthetic fuel production).

What are the concrete plans here, how does Austria intend to transform the energy sector? What needs to happen for energy security to become a European issue? How can Europe manage the painful energy transition effectively and sustainably without deviating from the European climate goals?

We want to discuss these and other topics with our guests (TBA).

• Keynote speech by Prof. Dr Martin Selmayr, Head of Representation of the European Commission in Austria;
• Welcome note by Günther H. Oettinger, President of United Europe;
  
• Welcome note by Hans Harrer, Senat der Wirtschaft, Austria

Prof Dr Alan Riley, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, will moderate both panels.

A flying buffet will follow the panel discussions.

Our Energy Security Summit on Thursday will also be live-streamed and is available on Youtube.

The safety of our guests is our highest priority. We, therefore, ask you to observe the Covid 19 regulations and measures in force at the Haus der Europäischen Union in Vienna.
If possible, please take a COVID test before your visit. Wearing an “FFP2” mask is mandatory during the event.

Please register by sending an email to