1. First Implementing Agreement Day BelgiumA networking event where energy specialists meet and exchange information and ideasOpening Speech Ms. Marie-Pierre Fauconnier Tuesday 6 December 2011 Venue: Elia, Boulevard de lEmpereur 20, 1000 BRUXELLES (room E.0.20)Ladies and Gentlemen,On behalf of the President of the Federal Public Service Economy,Mr. Massant; and on behalf of the International Energy Agency, Iwould like to welcome you all to the very first ImplementingAgreement Day of Belgium; and I wish to thank Elia for hosting thisImplementing Agreement Day of Belgium; and of course, foraccepting to represent Belgium in Annex 1 of the new ISGANImplementing Agreement.Ladies and Gentlemen,Through itsbroadrange of more than 40multilateraltechnology initiatives or Implementing Agreements, theIEA enables member and non-member countries, businesses,industries, international organisationsandnon-governmentorganisations to share research on breakthrough technologies, to fillexisting research gaps, to build pilot plants and to carry outdeployment or demonstration programmes.In short their work can comprise any technology-related activitythat supports energy security, economic growth, environmentalprotection and engagement worldwide.

2. At the core of a network of senior energy technology experts, theseinitiatives are also a fundamental building block for facilitating theentry of new and improved energy technologies in the marketplace.In these Implementing Agreements, governments and industryjoinforces.This long history of fruitful collaboration reaches back to 1975 whenthefirst Implementing Agreementwas created, but wasstrengthened by the Framework for International EnergyTechnology Co-operation, adopted in June 2003, which allowsnon-governmentalorganisationstobecomesignatories toImplementing Agreementsunder thecategory of Sponsor.This official category allows industry to have a seat at the table andvote on behalf of the company they represent.Inaddition, the Framework allowsforequitablesharing ofobligations, contributions, rights and benefits among all participants whether government or industry.This has served to significantly increase the share of industrysignatories in the Agreements. The majority of IAs regularly seeksinput, guidance and partnerships with industry.TheImplementingAgreements hence contribute to a betterunderstanding of private sector needs and of investment conditionsfor technology uptake. Through sharing resources and costs theyaccelerate technological development and knowledge transfer. 3. I am therefore pleased to see that Belgium already participates in awide range of Implementing Agreements, but I am aware that thereis still room for improvement.Ladies and Gentlemen,Globally we face significant challenges, in terms of meeting growingglobal demand for energy but also in seeking to reduce globalgreenhouse gas emissions to ensure a secure energy future for ourpeople.These challenges are being exacerbated by the financial crisis,reinforcing the concern that high energy prices can cripple economicgrowth.That is todays reality, but we have the tools and the political will topromotetransformation of our energy systemsto increasesubstantially the share of renewable and other low-carbon sources,thereby creating energy systems that are much more secure,diverse, open and sustainable.Last October IEA Ministers endorsed the need to supportR&D and accelerate the deployment of safe renewable and otherlow-carbon energy technologies.Energy efficiency also has an important role to play: Sometimescalled the quiet giant of the clean energy options, energy efficiencyprovides a powerful opportunity to address both security andsustainability concerns in a cost-effective way. 4. In the near term, energy efficiency and energy savings remain thesingle most important means of seeking to meet climate and energysecurity goals in a cost-effective manner. We were encouraged bythe progress that is being made by IEA countries in implementingthe IEAs 25 energy efficiency policy recommendations,particularly in the buildings and transport sectors.To meet the challenges of energy security and climate change aswell as the growing energy needs of the developing world, a globalenergy technology revolution is essential. This has been since 2008the key message of the Energy Technology Perspectives (ETP).Energy Technology Perspectives is the IEAs most ambitiousproject on technology and as Maria van der Hoeven, who becamethe IEAs new Executive Director on 1 September, has stressed, willsoon be just as important a flagship for the IEA as the WEO alreadyis.The next edition of Energy Technology Perspectives isexpected in May 2012.We are currently looking into the possibility of organizing a seminarto present the ETP results to the Belgian public.Ladies and gentlemen,Please allow me to briefly return to the Belgian political context. Asyou know a new government stepped into office yesterday andappointed Mr. Melchior Wathelet as new minister for Energy.The new government has set out some important guidelines aimingat strengthening our country s energy policy framework and offeringan appropriate response to the challenges we face today. 5. Let met briefly walk you through some of the planned measures andactivities: 1. Last week, the parliamentary commission approved the newelectricity and gas laws that will put in practice the ThirdEnergy Package in the Belgian energy market.These new laws confirm the mandate of the EnergyAdministration to carry out the prospective studies that allowto set out the medium term perspectives with regard todemand and supply and mandates the federal authority toelaborate recommendations with regard to energy security.With regard to electricity, we are currently finalising thedifferent scenarios with a 2025 horizon. The first results willbe available in the beginning of 2012. 2. In addition to the prospective studies, a generation capacityplan will be carried out in the coming 6 months which will lookinto new generation capacities based on diversification ofenergy sources in order to ensure a adequate electricitysupply in short and medium term. 3. The cooperation with the regional governments efforts will bereinforced in the coming months and years through theENOVER-CONCERE platform. I take the opportunity to recallthe initiative by the four ministers for energy earlier this yearto engage on regular consultation and cooperation on timelyenergy questions through the mechanism of Staten-Generaal Etats-Generaux which is currently undertaking important 6. work in the following fields :a. a backasting study 2050 on how to reach an energy mix composed of 100 % renewable is currently being carried out in cooperation with the regional authorities. The idea is to develop scenarios including concrete measures to achieve 100%renewableenergy consumption in 2050. Some preliminary results are expected in the Spring of 2012. This study was commended by the four ministers for energy earlier this year.b. Negotiationsare equallyongoingbetween the respective governmentsand stakeholders on the creation of a non stop shop aiming at an administrative simplification of permitting procedures for production and transport. In this context, we are working on the option of a one stop shop to centralize permitting requests.4. Allow me to say a few words on our ongoing initiative on Electric Vehicles. On the request of the former Minister for Energy, we have recentlystarted a reflection on the elaboration of a draft Masterplan for the massive deployment of electric vehicles on the Belgian Market. A Steering Group composed of key stakeholders is presently looking at and discussing the content of this draft with the aim of presenting to the respective a Plan supported by the industrial sector at the beginning of next year. A Stakeholders Platform to discuss the main lines of the Plan is organized by my services on 13 December at the Manos Hotel here in Brussels. 7. More information on this event, can be found on the website of the Belgian Platform for Electric Vehicles.Ladies and GentlemenI hope that the Implementing Agreement Day of Belgium will be thebeginning of an extensive web of interaction which will reinforce thelinkages between all the Energy Administrations in our country,between these Administrations and the Implementing Agreements,and betweenthe Belgian participantsin the ImplementingAgreements. I hope that this day will underscore the relevance ofparticipating in the Energy Technology Network of the IEA and willbe the start of a discussion to explore the needs of theImplementing Agreements and to determine how the BelgianEnergy Administrations can support the Implementing Agreements;I hope that it may strengthen the dialogue between the BelgianEnergyAdministrations,the IEA, andthe ImplementingAgreements.Ladies and GentlemenOnce again I want to thank you all for participating in the FirstImplementing Agreement Day of Belgium; and thank Elia forhosting this event.Please Mr. Hubert Lemmens, you have the floor.