Trade-friendly Promotion of Renewable Energy

Brussels, 2 November 2004

This Expert Meeting, which was chaired by Mr Steivan Defilla, was a follow-up to previous discussions in the Group on Trade on the compatibility of various policies and measures that aim at promoting the use of renewable energy with the provisions of the trade rules of the ECT and the WTO. The objective of the Expert Meeting was to establish a policy dialogue between officials dealing with trade, energy and environment policies and to discuss the requirements under ECT/WTO provisions of various schemes used for the promotion of renewable energy.

Programme

Welcome and Introduction by Mr Steivan Defilla, Chairman of the Energy Charter Group on Trade

Energy Policies and Renewable Market Developments in Europe and the CIS Countries. Rick Sellers, Head, Renewable Energy Unit, Office of Energy Efficiency, Technology, and Energy Research and Development, International Energy Agency

Trade Issues in Renewable Energy Policies. Ralf Dickel, Director, Trade, Transit and Non-Signatories, Energy Charter Secretariat

Two Cases of Renewable Energy Subsidies: Government-Mandated Financing of Renewable Energy in Germany and Producer Subsidies in the Netherlands. Frans H. Oosterhuis, Senior Researcher, Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam

Policies to Promote Renewable Energy and the WTO Discipline on Subsidies. Susan Hainsworth, Counsellor, Rules Division, WTO Secretariat

Environmental Benefits of Removing Restrictions to Energy Trade. Ronald Steenblik, Senior Trade Policy Analyst (Trade & Environment), Trade Policy Linkages Division, Trade Directorate, OECD

Challenges for Policy Makers and Regulators in Integrating ECT/WTO Principles Into Environmental and Energy Policies. Matteo Leonardi, Officer, Study and Research Department, Environment and Fiscal Office, Italian Regulatory Authority for Electricity and Gas