FORATOM co-organisers top-level seminar on Europe’s low-carbon energy future

On 8 October, over 150 people attended a day-long seminar in Brussels devoted to the hot topic of Europe’s low-carbon energy policy. The seminar, entitled Paving the Way to Europe’s Low-Carbon Energy Future, was jointly organised by FORATOM, EURELECTRIC and BUSINESSEUROPE and chaired by Thomas Barth, a Member of the Board at E.ON Bayern and of the Co-ordinating Committee of EURELECTRIC.

Participants at the seminar included senior EC officials, representatives of the European nuclear industry, heads of other industries (wind energy and automotive) and a range of stakeholders actively involved in mapping out Europe’s future low-carbon energy policy.

Among the highlights of the seminar were a keynote speech from President of the EC, José-Manuel Barroso and closing remarks from the Vice President of the European Parliament, Alejo Vidal-Quadras. The core message of President Barroso’s address was that the EU must significantly increase its low-carbon energy production - including nuclear, renewables and clean coal - if it is to meet its climate change and energy goals and help transform Europe into a low-carbon economy.

The seminar programme revolved around 3 panel discussions: The Future Role of Low-Carbon Technologies in Europe; Policy Options Driving Europe’s Competitiveness and Assessing Policy Options to Combat Climate Change.

Among the guest speakers were Christian Kjaer, CEO of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA); Philippe Rosier, chairman of the Energy Working Group of BUSINESSEUROPE; Paul Greening, Director of Emissions and Fuels at the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA); Alain Perroy, Director General of the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) and MEPs Gunnar Hökmark (EPP-ED, Sweden) and Reino Paasilinna (PSE, Finland).

For full details of the conference, visit FORATOM’s website at: www.foratom.org.