EU-US Energy Council Formed to Support Better Transatlantic Cooperation on Energy and Climate Change Issues

There is no doubt that as countries aim to shift to a low carbon economy as well as tackle gigantic global energy issues, international cooperation scientific research and public policy will be necessary.

Today, following this line of thinking, the European Union and the United States of America formed the EU-US Energy Council.  The Council will offer a new framework for the European and American energy dialogue. 

The mission of the EU-US Energy Council is to deepen the energy discussion between these two bodies by strengthening the ongoing scientific collaboration on energy technologies, as well as to allow for more thorough discussion between the EU and the US about strategic energy issues such as security of supplies and the best methods to shift towards a low carbon economy.

The work of the Council will focus on three specific areas:  Energy Policies, Global Energy Security and Global Markets, and Energy Technologies Research Cooperation.

The European Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner said partnerships like the EU-US Energy Council should become a staple:  "I want to see energy security and climate change centre stage in all our partnerships around the world, and it is the right moment to step up our cooperation with the US.  As two of the greatest consumers of energy, we have a responsibility to work together to find solutions to some of the most challenging questions of our day."

Read the full story at EUROPA: New EU-US Energy Council to boost transatlantic energy cooperation