ENERGY COOPERATION SUMMIT BETWEEN EU AND TURKEY

Quadripartite meeting of “Turkey-EU Positive Agenda: Enhanced Energy Cooperation between EU and Turkey” was held in Stuttgart, Germany. 

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Stefan Füle and EU Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger participated in the quadripartite meeting.

In the meeting, Ministers and Commissioners agreed to focus efforts on 5 topics of mutual interest: Long term perspectives on energy scenarios and energy mix, market integration and development of infrastructures of common interest (gas, electricity, and oil), global and regional energy cooperation, promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean energy technologies and nuclear safety and radiation protection.

Joint statement by Bağış, Yıldız, Oettinger and Füle

Turkey and the EU are important energy partners, sharing common strategic challenges and objectives. There is great scope for cooperation on issues which are in the interest of both sides.

Following their meeting in Istanbul on 9 February 2012, where the Ministers and Commissioners agreed to look at concrete possibilities to deepen EU-Turkey energy relations, they agreed today to focus efforts on 5 topics of mutual interest:

Long term perspectives on energy scenarios and energy mix

Market integration and development of infrastructures of common interest (gas, electricity, oil)

Global and regional energy cooperation

Promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean energy Technologies

Nuclear safety and rediation protection

The Ministers and Commissioners agreed to establish a steering group to coordinate the joint work of teams of experts and to report regularly to the ministers and Commissioners. They also decided on some specific activities which should start immediately, focusing on gas, electricity, energy efficiency, renewable energy and nuclear energy.

This cooperation will contribute to a positive agenda for EU-Turkey relations in general, and it will facilitate the eventual integration of EU and Turkey energy markets. Such integration will not only increase security of energy supply in Europe and Turkey, it will also create important business opportunities..