On Wednesday, the EU's and USA's new Energy Council met for the first time in Washington D.C. The Council’s task is to strengthen the cooperation between the EU and the USA in the field of energy. US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Swedish Minister for Enterprise and Energy chaired the meeting.
“I am pleased to open this meeting, hopefully the first of many to come. I am looking forward to fruitful cooperation”, said Steven Chu at the opening of the meeting.

Photo: Gunnar Seijbold/Regeringskansliet

Maud Olofsson and Stephen Chu.

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Participants at the meeting included Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt, US Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg and the Commissioners concerned.  Afterwards, Minister for Enterprise and Energy Maud Olofsson met with the media.
“The Energy Council is a golden opportunity for the USA and the EU to cooperate. Climate change is a threat but it also brings many opportunities”, Ms Olofsson said.

Ms Olofsson told the media how several areas of cooperation had been discussed at the meeting.
“Energy efficiency, renewable sources of energy and how to better connect different parts of the market. We also talked about how to better involve the business sector in these issues.”

Exchanges between the EU and the USA

Ms Olofsson continued by saying that the USA has shown interest in experience-exchange in the field of energy.
“Secretary Chu would for example like to take a look at Europe’s political policy instruments.”

When asked what Sweden can learn from the USA, Ms Olofsson replied that the USA is good at connecting businesses with politics and commercial development.
“Unfortunately, these areas tend to be more separated from each other in the EU, so I think we can learn from the U.S. in that field”.