On April 4th, the Energy Council Ministerial Meeting between the EU and the US was held in Brussels to bolster cooperation in the energy sector. The Energy Council was chaired by EU High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, along with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Deputy Secretary for Energy David Turk. The focus of the meeting was on energy security in Europe and neighboring regions, as well as joint efforts towards decarbonization.
During the meeting, the co-chairs discussed ways to ensure energy security while accelerating the transition to green energy. They addressed the situation in Ukraine and Moldova in the context of next winter’s outlook and deliberated on clean-energy technologies and energy savings to expedite decarbonization. Additionally, the two sides exchanged views on reducing methane emissions as initiators of the Global Methane Pledge.
In a joint statement, the EU and the US pledged to coordinate responses to maintain global energy markets’ stability and support the Paris Agreement’s goals. The statement also underscored the importance of reducing dependence on Russia for nuclear materials and fuel cycle services while backing affected EU countries’ efforts to diversify nuclear fuel supplies.
Following the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the TotalEnergies Anomaly Detection Initiatives (TADI) of the Pôle d’Etudes et de Recherche de Lacq and the Colorado State University Methane Emission Technology Evaluation Center (METEC) to establish international standards for methane leak detection and quantification solutions.
The EU and the US are strategic partners working hand in hand to push for ambitious climate action, net zero emissions, and enhanced energy security while promoting energy diversification. The EU-US Energy Council is the principal framework for cooperation on mid and long-term issues, accompanied last year by the EU-US Task Force on Energy Security to tackle the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Commission and the White House published a progress report on the Task Force’s work, outlining priorities for 2023.
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