Energy and Climate Change Event

The EU Energy Package in the Light of the Spring European Council

About the Speech:

The next meeting of the Energy and Climate Change groups will take at 12.45pm on Monday 12 March, 2007. EU Energy Commissioner, Andris Peibalgs, will give a keynote speech on “The EU Energy Package in the Light of the Spring European Council?.

Energy and Climate Change are top of the agenda for the Spring European Council of 8/9 March, 2007. Several key aspects of the EU’s January package such as the ground-breaking proposal on binding targets for renewables rest with EU leaders. Commissioner Piebalgs will offer an analysis of developments immediately after the Council from the European Commission’s perspective.

About the Speaker:

Piebalgs ran the office of Sandra Kalniete, Latvia's member of the Prodi Commission for its last few months in office. He was nominated for the Barroso Commission by the Latvian government as a replacement for Ingrida Udre, who failed to win the support of the European Parliament in her selection hearing for the position of Taxation and Customs Union Commissioner. He also replaced the Hungarian nominee László Kovács who had been set to take charge of the energy portfolio but failed to convince MEPs of his competence for the role during his original selection hearing. Piebalgs took office along with the rest of the Barroso Commission on 22 November 2004. He is affiliated with the European People's Party (EPP), along with 8 more Commissioners (including Barroso).

The Economist named Piebalgs as their "Eurocrat of the Year" in January 2007, commentating that he "understands both the technicalities of his brief and its political dimensions, and has the nerve to take on the powerful energy lobbies in Europe’s biggest countries."