At an EU Energy Council meeting, EU ministers discuss the reduction of gas consumption, changes in the electricity market and the green transition.

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Energy, Bojan Kumer, is in Brussels today for a meeting of the EU Energy Council, where European ministers are trying to reach political consensus on important issues in the area of energy security, particularly in the light of reducing natural gas consumption.

At today's meeting, ministers reached a political agreement on the extension of the regulation to reduce gas consumption. Under the European Commission's proposal, the regulation would be extended until March 2024, with the latest proposal granting a temporary exemption for Slovenia. In line with climate targets, coal would be largely replaced by gas for the supply of district heating in Ljubljana.

“This exemption is of great importance for us,” said Minister Kumer after the meeting. Slovenia backed the extension of the regulation until March 2024.

Ministers are also discussing reform of the electricity market. “We welcome the direction taken by the European Commission,” said Mr Kumer, adding that the changes will reduce the impact of gas on electricity prices for the end user, especially in uncertain times. “Slovenia will pursue further safeguards as part of the overhaul of the electricity market,” he added.

Another important point where ministers are expected to endorse a general approach is the 'gas package', aimed at decarbonisation within the natural gas system and the future development of the hydrogen market. Slovenia supports the adoption of the general approach because it endorses the inclusion of renewable gases, low-carbon gases and hydrogen in the gas market regulation system. In doing so, it calls for low-carbon hydrogen to play an integral role in achieving decarbonisation targets.

At the meeting, ministers also discussed strengthening the role of renewable energy sources as well as the green transition and decarbonisation, where Slovenia is already moving in the right direction with the drafting of legislation over the last six months. Ministers also endorsed new CO₂ emission reduction targets for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.

Minister Kumer also attended an informal meeting of like-minded nuclear energy ministers, where they issued a joint press statement stressing the need to develop an industrial and financial framework to support nuclear technologies and to strengthen ongoing cooperation in order to facilitate and accelerate the promotion of these technologies and to ensure their safer deployment.

The Minister also held a bilateral meeting with the Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, and presented the government's priorities for the environment. The two ministers also discussed EU infringement procedures.