Third Parliamentarian Dialogue Europe – Latin America on Energy and Sustainable Development

Since 1998, AES is involved in the organisation of the EU – Latin American Parliamentarian Dialogue on the Promotion of Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development, which is part of the project ‘Promotion of Energy Efficiency in Latin America’, jointly implemented by the UN Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the European Commission, DG Transport & Energy (SYNERGY Programme).

This Dialogue was first organised in October 1998 in Brussels, followed by a second event in Buenos Aires in June 1999. The Dialogue brings together interested Members of the European Parliament with their colleagues from various national parliaments in Latin America as well as policy makers, government officials and experts from both regions.

The objectives of the Dialogue are to:

  • Foster the understanding of the specific energy-related problems in both regions;
  • Support Latin American parliamentarians in their initiatives to place energy and sustainable development on the political agenda in their countries;
  • Develop a new awareness of the political implications of energy and economic cooperation between both regions.

Between 20 – 22 September 2000, the Third Dialogue has been held in Brussels, focussing on “Energy Sector Reforms, Regulatory Challenges and Sustainable Development in Europe and Latin America”.

The Third Dialogue was attended by Parliamentarians from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and by several Members of the European Parliament.

Regulators from Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, France, Italy, Panama, Portugal and Spain discussed actual issues on energy regulation and sustainable development in both regions. Government representatives from various European and Latin American countries, as well as representatives from energy enterprises from both regions followed the event, which also included a roundtable between the Council of European Energy Regulators and the Association of Ibero-American Electricity Regulators.

Among the personalities, who addressed the event, special mentioning should be made of Mrs. Loyola de Palacio, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Transport, Energy and Relations with the European Parliament; Mr. José Antonio Ocampo, Executive Secretary of ECLAC; Mr. Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza, President of the Committee for Industry, Foreign Trade, Research and Energy of the European Parliament; Mr. Juan-Carlos Lam Alvarez, Member of the Congress of Peru and President of the Inter-parliamentarian Conference on Mining and Energy for Latin America CIME 2000; Mr. Rolf Linkohr, Member of the European Parliament and President of the European Energy Foundation and Mr. Carlos Robles Piquer, President of Fundación Cánovas del Castillo and former Member of the European Parliament.

The Dialogue concluded with a Joint Declaration, which emphasises the importance of a continued and intensified energy policy dialogue between both regions, focussing on the objectives of growth, competitiveness, protection of the integral (natural, cultural and social) patrimony and social equity.

October 2000