European Commission
MEMO
Stuttgart, 14 June 2012
Enhanced EU-Turkey energy cooperation
Joint statement by EU Commissioners Oettinger and Füle and Turkish Ministers Bağış and Yildiz
Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle and Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger met with Turkish Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bağış and Energy Minister Taner Yildiz in Stuttgart today to discuss enhanced energy relations with Turkey, in the framework of the positive agenda for Turkey.
Turkey and the EU are important energy partners, sharing common strategic challenges and objectives. There is great scope for cooperation on issues which are in the interest of both sides.
Following their meeting in Istanbul on 9 February 2012, where the Ministers and Commissioners agreed to look at concrete possibilities to deepen EU-Turkey energy relations, they agreed today to focus efforts on 5 topics of mutual interest:
Long term perspectives on energy scenarios and energy mix
Market integration and development of infrastructures of common interest (gas, electricity, oil)
Global and regional energy cooperation
Promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean energy technologies
Nuclear safety and rediation protection
The Ministers and Commissioners agreed to establish a steering group to coordinate the joint work of teams of experts and to report regularly to the ministers and Commissioners. They also decided on some specific activities which should start immediately, focusing on gas, electricity, energy efficiency, renewable energy and nuclear energy.
This cooperation will contribute to a positive agenda for EU-Turkey relations in general, and it will facilitate the eventual integration of EU and Turkey energy markets. Such integration will not only increase security of energy supply in Europe and Turkey, it will also create important business opportunities.
