The Central and Eastern European Energy Forum organised by the Polish Electricity Committee concluded in Warsaw. Issues of energy security in the region were the theme of the meeting.
- We are currently witnessing the greatest energy crisis in 70 years, caused by the dependence of European countries on energy resources from Russia. It was the countries of our region that had been warning for years that this was a very short-sighted policy - unfortunately this voice was not heard in Brussels. It was only after Russia's aggression against Ukraine that Europe gave us the bitter satisfaction that we were right. That is why it is so important for our countries to work together and develop common positions - said Wojciech Dąbrowski, Chairman of the PKEE Governing Board.
Energy groups from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Poland, whose representatives took part in the Forum, are implementing a number of projects to increase the energy security of our region. The participants in the discussion emphasised above all the important role of nuclear energy in stabilising the energy market. It was also pointed out that our countries started the changes in the energy sector from a completely different level than Western countries and hence bear much higher costs of the green transition.
The aim of the Central and Eastern European Energy Forum was to exchange experiences between energy groups from individual countries and to prepare the ground for joint representation of our region's interests. The meeting included expert discussions on the challenges of a sustainable climate and energy transition, taking into account energy security. Discussions were also held on the future of the European energy sector and the possibility of deepening cooperation between the countries of the region. The meeting was also an opportunity to exchange information on key regulatory topics that the event's participants are currently working on. An additional element of the Forum was the presentation by individual countries of their starting situation in the energy sector and their plans for investment in low- and zero-carbon energy sources.
In the coming years, the abandonment of Russian hydrocarbons and the energy transition, together with security of supply, will be the main challenges for the entire sector. Participants in the discussion expressed their conviction that with a prudent energy policy, the countries of the region will be able to reformulate the geopolitics of this part of Europe, while also setting a good example to their western neighbours.