Draft PROGRAMME

17 October 2022

09:15–10:00     Registration and welcome coffee

10:00–11:00     Opening session

Moderator: Mr Dimitris Dimitriadis, president of the section for External Relations of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

  • Mr Tiziano Treu, president of the National Council for Economics and Labour (CNEL)
  • Ms Christa Schweng, president of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
  • Ms Patrizia Toia, member of the European Parliament 
  • Mr Grammenos Mastrojeni, senior deputy secretary-general in charge of Energy and Climate Action, Union for the Mediterranean
  • Mr Gian Paolo Gualaccini, coordinator of the CNEL Commission for EU Policies and International Cooperation

11:00–11:30     Coffee break / family photo

11:30–13:00     Session 1:         The search for new energy suppliers

In this session, the debate will focus on short-term solutions to the current geopolitical situation, with the search for new suppliers and transportation routes to reduce dependence on a single provider.  

Moderator: Mr Pierre Jean Coulon, president of the study group on Energy policies and strategies in the Euro-Mediterranean region (REX/555 ), EESC

  • Mr Lapo Pistelli, president of the Mediterranean Energy Observatory & of Eni
  • Eng. Youssef Bassim, board member of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, chairman of the renewable energy committee at the Egyptian Chamber of Engineering Industries
  • Dr. Marika Karagianni, research affiliate of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), visiting lecturer of the University of Peloponnese-International Hellenic University

Debate

13:00–14:30     Networking lunch

14:30–16:00     Session 2:         Mitigating the economic and social impact of rising energy prices

In Session 2, conference participants will discuss how to alleviate the economic and social impact of high energy prices due to recent geopolitical events and due to new suppliers and alternative transportation routes.

Moderator: Mr Floriano Botta, CNEL vice president

  • Ms Baiba Miltoviča, president of the EESC Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society
  • Ms Tiziana Bocchi, confederal secretary of the Unione Italiana del Lavoro (UIL)
  • Prof. Raffaele Miniaci, executive committee member, the Italian Observatory for Energy Poverty

Debate

16:00–16:30 Coffee break

16:30-17:55 Session 3:  Geopolitics of energy transition

Debate in this session will be dedicated to the geopolitical impact of energy transition on both shores of the Mediterranean, with a significantly reduced dependence on fossil fuel in the medium and long term.

Moderator: Mr Pietro Francesco De Lotto, president of the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI), EESC

  • Dr. Ioannis Maniatis, f. Greek Minister of Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Associate Professor, University of Piraeus
  • Mr Angelo Colombini, confederal secretary of the Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Lavoratori (CISL)
  • Dr. Valeria Costantini, Full Professor, Roma Tre University

Debate

17:55-18:00 Closing remarks

  • Mr Ioannis Vardakastanis, president of the Euromed Follow-Up Committee of the EESC
  • Mr Tiziano Treu, president of CNEL