The European Investment Bank will hold a regional ministerial conference on energy in South East Europe in Thessaloniki on the 4th and 5th of March 2010.
Hosted by the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. George Papandreou, and EIB President, Mr. Philippe Maystadt, this EIB conference will feature prominent speakers who will assess the needs and priorities on security of energy supply, renewable energy and energy efficiency.
On Thursday, March 4th, 2010 Mrs. Tina Birbili, Minister for the Environment, Energy & Climate Change of the Hellenic Republic, will give the keynote address during the Ministerial Panel which will introduce the political dimension of the energy environment in South East Europe.
EIB Vice President, Mr. Plutarchos Sakellaris, will open the second day of the conference on the morning of Friday, March 5th, 2010. Panels will address the main topics of the conference, being the security of energy supply, featuring keynote speaker Mr. Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director, International Energy Agency, and renewable energy production and energy efficiency with keynote address delivered by Prof. Arthouros Zervos, President of the European Renewable Energy Council and Chairman and CEO of PPC (Public Power Corporation S.A., Greece).
That same afternoon, the conference will feature several workshops and project showcases, providing flexibility in the way that guests can interact with the interdisciplinary body of experts that will be in attendance. The desired outcome is to build a joint vision of the future that will help remove roadblocks to implementation, develop collaborative solutions, and bring the energy community closer together.
Leaders in the fields of policy, technology, industry and finance will be assembled for the purpose of developing solutions to the world's most pressing energy challenges. Environmental and security concerns have created an opportunity for fundamental change in the way the world produces and consumes energy.
The focus will be on South East Europe, a region with limited indigenous fossil resources which is affected considerably by climate change and which already acts as an energy crossroad. Together we will explore opportunities and showcase promising technology and policy pathways that have the potential of making a significant impact on energy solutions across this regional, interdependent energy landscape.
The conference is being held in Greece, which aims at becoming a prime energy hub, and is an active promoter of renewable energy production, in line with the current "Green Economy" policy objectives.
