OREANDA-NEWS. January 14, 2016. First of all, let me highlight the historic success at the Paris climate conference, which, as Commissioner Miguel Arias Ca?ete highlighted, was a major win for Europe and its allies. With our ambition and commitment, and thanks to European leadership in shaping the deal, we sent a very strong signal to policy-makers, investors and businesses: the energy transition towards a low carbon and high growth economy has been decisively accelerated, and is irreversible. But let us not forget that the hard work has only just begun. What has been promised must now be delivered, and the impressive work programme that we have ahead of us shows that each of our proposals, beginning with the Security of Supply package that we will present next month, are designed to achieve this.

December was also a key month for delivering another of our priorities: ending the enduring energy isolation of some EU countries. The inauguration of the electricity interconnections LitPol Link and Nordbalt, significantly boosting the interconnectivity of Lithuania, Poland and Sweden, reminded us once again how vital interconnections are. Also the BalticConnector, the first gas pipeline to connect Estonia and Finland, will significantly increase energy security in the eastern Baltic Sea region. All these projects are excellent examples of how the impact of interconnections goes beyond energy, bringing countries and people closer together.

And, if you are interested in taking an active part in opening this new chapter of energy transition, let me finish with an invitation. There are still a few weeks left to respond to the open consultations on a new Renewable Energy Directive for the period after 2020 and on the Review of the Energy Efficiency Directive. Your views on how to better integrate renewables and how to implement our COP21 commitments on energy efficiency will be crucial as we set our legislative proposals this year.

Thank you.

Dominique Ristori