Five Years of Energy Law in Groningen

On 28 September 2011, the Groningen Centre of Energy Law (GCEL) organizes a one day conference in order to celebrate its fifth anniversary. During the last five years the Centre has been involved in a wide range of teaching and research activities. Members of the Centre will present their work jointly with a selection of practitioners who have been supporting the Centre during this period. At the same time the conference will illustrate the developments currently taking place in the energy sector and the role of law in this process.

Event
The conference ‘Five years of energy law in Groningen – Academics meet practice’ will present its achievements of the recent years. The researchers will present their research jointly with practitioners.

The impact of European law and policy on the energy sector and our research is illustrated by our keynote speaker Mr. Philip Lowe, Director-General for Energy in the European Commission, who will address one of the major challenges with which the energy sector is faced: the legal framework within which infrastructure developments will be made.

Maria van der Hoeven, International Energy Agency will briefly present here views on the role of the IEA in providing long-term sustainable energy supply.

Topics include:

• Competition in Energy Markets and Non-discriminatory Access to Networks
• Securing Energy Supply through Investment Protection: The EU-Russia Relation
• Securing Energy Supply through Developing Offshore Energy Infrastructure illustrated by the development of the Nord Stream Pipeline and the North Sea Electricity Grid
• Developing Small Oil and Gas Fields in the North Sea: New Legal Instruments and Lessons to be Learned
• Regulating Carbon Capture and Storage: EU, National and Cross-border Perspectives

Speakers include:

• Mr. Philip Lowe, Director-General for Energy in the European Commission
• Mr. Cees Pisuisse, NV Nederlandse Gasunie
• Mr. Graham Coop, Energy Charter Secretariat
• Mr. Gerrit Vriezen, NAM
• Prof. Dr. John Paterson, University of Aberdeen
• Mr. Christoph Becker-Berke, RWE
• Mr. Alexander Haag, LL.M, Nord Stream 
• Researchers Groningen Centre of Energy Law

Further information: gcel@rug.nl

Programme and registration on www.gcel.nl