Bulgarian MEP from BSP Tsvetelina Penkova was unanimously elected president of the European energy forum - the largest energy organization in Brussels. The vote took place on 16 July 2024 at the first meeting of the organization during the new mandate of the European Parliament. Penkova will be the first female president of the organization.
For the first time in the 20-year history of the European Energy Forum, it will be headed by a representative of the Socialists. Penkova takes over from former Prime Minister of Poland and President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, who has led the forum for the past 10 years. The event was also attended by the European Commissioner for Energy - Kadri Simson.
Tsvetelina Penkova has considerable experience in the organization, which she became a member of at the beginning of the previous term, and was subsequently elected as a member of the board of directors. The BSP MEP works on important legislation in the field of re-industrialization, energy efficiency and nuclear energy in the EU.
The European Energy Forum is the largest non-profit energy organization in Brussels, developing the tripartite dialogue between the legislature, energy operators and the executive, as well as the largest energy companies operating on the European market. The aim is for representatives of the legislative and executive authorities at the European level to have access to expert analyzes and opportunities for the implementation of European energy policies.
The forum aims to support political and technological neutrality as regards the energy transition in Europe. Regular meetings of its members promote open dialogue with industry and try to improve the awareness of European institutions in technological processes, strengthening cooperation between government and business.
After her election, Tsvetelina Penkova indicated the priorities for the development of European policies in the field of energy: “The election campaign gave us the opportunity to directly hear the voice of European citizens. They don't want self-serving declarations to save the climate, but a quick and effective reduction in energy bills. This can only be achieved through more investment in base sources, such as nuclear power for example, and better connectivity between all EU countries.
In the coming years, we need to build thousands of kilometers of high-voltage transmission lines if we want to build a truly functioning and connected common energy market. Only in this way can we guarantee affordable electricity transmission prices from one end of the continent to the other.“ She also indicated what European leaders should focus on: “We need predictability of public policies, lower prices for households and businesses, creation of new and high-paying jobs for specialists in the sector and improvement of the competitiveness of European companies on the global market.“