The Economic Affairs Committee will hold a public sitting on energy supply
A joint sitting of the Economic Affairs Committee, the Environment Committee, the National Defence Committee and the Rural Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia), where the issues relating to energy supply will be discussed together with the representatives of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, academics and the experts of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC), will be held on Tuesday, 17 April at the initiative of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu.
Head of the Unit of Energy Security of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC) Marcelo Masera, and researchers of the JRC Energy Security, Systems and Market Unit Arturs Purvins and Nicola Zaccarelli will deliver reports at the sitting. Masera will give an overview of the public opinion poll on energy security in the EU countries; Purvins will speak about synchronising the Baltic power networks with the European power networks and Zaccarelli about the gas market risk assessment and steps for improving supply security.
It is also planned to hold discussions on the perspectives of the synchronisation of the Estonian energy system and on the future needs of the Estonian gas market, which will be introduced by Ando Leppiman, Deputy Secretary General for Energy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. At the discussions, the ministry responsible for the sector will be given ten minutes for comment, there will be five minutes for a short comment on the research competence in Estonia, and ten minutes for questions and answers.
The sitting will be held at the Conference Hall of the Riigikogu on 17 April at 2 p.m. It will be streamed online at the Riigikogu website, and the video recording will later be available at https://www.youtube.com/riigikogu.
The working language of the sitting is Estonian. Simultaneous interpretation of the reports in English, and also of the discussion in Estonian for the guest speakers will be provided.
On 17 April at 10 a.m., a conference in Estonian and English on the same topic will be held at the Estonian Academy of Sciences. This conference will also be streamed online.
The conference at the Academy of Sciences and the joint sitting of the Riigikogu committees contribute to the closer integration of research and the state. Similar events are held regularly in several European countries within the framework of the JRC initiative “Science Meets Parliaments”. Their main purpose is to ensure that politicians could use as much specialist knowledge and latest research achievements as possible in making the necessary political decisions.
Everyone is welcome to listen to the public joint sitting of the Riigikogu committees. Please register at the Riigikogu website by 3 p.m. on Monday, 16 April at the latest.