This transition, however, takes place in a geopolitical context that imposes new realities in Europe. Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has brutally exposed European vulnerabilities due to its dependence on Russian gas. The challenge for the European Union, is to accelerate the necessary transition to clean energy while at the same time avoiding new dependencies and ensuring its energy and technological security, thereby contributing to Europe’s sovereignty.
What are the main vulnerabilities that the European Union is facing in its quest for energy sovereignty and green transition? How can the European Union reinforce security in its energy supply chain, and with which partners? What potential can the European tap in building up the production of primary decarbonised energy on European soil? What role can’t hydrogen and nuclear energy play therein? And how to further encourage innovation, research and development?

Working language: English

18h00 Opening
Frédéric Joureau, Chargé d’affaires a.i. at the Embassy of France to Austria

18h05 Keynote
Caroline Vermeulen, Ambassador of Belgium to Austria

18h20 Discussion
Diana-Paula Gherasim, Research Fellow, Head of European energy and climate policies at the Center for Energy & Climate of the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), Paris

Zuzanna Nowak, Analysis Director -Energy and climate policy analyst at the Opportunity Institute for Foreign Affairs, Warsaw

Romana Jungwirth Březovská, Research Fellow, Association for International Affairs, CzechGlobe – Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences Prague

Benigna Boza-Kiss, research scholar at the Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) program of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

Chair : Christina Maria Huber, Head of Sustainability at neoom international gmbh

19h55 Conclusion

Dietmar Schweisgut, Secretary General, Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe
20h00 end of the discussion