1. / Home
  2. / Events
Event

Designing a new EU-Turkey strategic energy partnership

The diversification of Europe's gas supplies is a key plank of the EU's strategy to achieve greater energy security.

There is huge untapped gas production potential in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Middle East, but incorporating this into the EU's gas supply architecture will require cooperation with Turkey: the inevitable transit country and a key player in the regional geopolitical chessboard.

However, EU-Turkey energy cooperation has seen years of impasse, including the failure of the Nabucco pipeline project and the continuing delays in opening the energy chapter of Turkey's EU accession negotiations. Nevertheless, by adopting a new cooperation scheme with Turkey, the EU might now have an opportunity to remove the geopolitical barriers that have hindered the region's potential to export natural gas to Europe.

What role might such projects play in the EU's wider energy strategy, especially the aim to reduce dependence on Russia. How would any large-scale energy cooperation impact on other areas of EU-Turkey relations? The event presented a new Policy Contribution by Simone Tagliapietra and Georg Zachmann. This was followed by a discussion and Q&A with Mehmet Öğütçü and Patrick Paquet, chaired by Aura Sabadus.

Event materials

  • The Bruegel Policy Contribution by Simone Tagliapietra and Georg Zachmann
  • Simone Tagliapietra's presentation _
  • The Bruegel event notes _

Speakers

  • Simone Tagliapietra, research fellow, Bruegel
  • Mehmet Öğütçü, chairman, Global Resources Partnership
  • Patrick Paquet, acting Head of Turkey Unit, DG NEAR
  • Chair: Aura Sabadus, editor, ICIS Turkish Energy Hub Daily

Practical details

  • Venue: Bruegel, Rue de la Charité 33, 1210 Brussels
  • Time: 10 June 2015, 12.30-14.30
  • Contact: Matilda Sevón