Energy Minister George Papanastasiou was departing for Brussels on Sunday to attend the EU Council of Energy Ministers slated for Monday.

On the sidelines of the Council, Papanastasiou will also have a first meeting with the new European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen, while he will also meet privately with the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Dr. Fatih Birol.

Additionally, the energy minister will participate in a meeting of the “Friends of Renewables” group of countries, of which Cyprus is a member. The aim of the group is to formulate proposals to the new European Commission on the green transition.

The agenda of the EU Energy Council includes the presentation of a report on geothermal energy by Birol, followed by the adoption of conclusions for its promotion, a discussion on the future of the EU energy policy with the aim of creating a resilient Energy Union, and an update from the European Commission and the Hungarian Presidency on the progress of the Action Plan for Networks.

Papanastasiou will return to Cyprus on Tuesday, 17 December 2024.