08 February 2016, 17:16
The minister reported on the activity of the ministry in 2015 and on the action plan of the ministry for 2016.
The participants in the meeting were people's deputies of Ukraine/members of other Verkhovna Rada Committees and envoys of the parliamentary factions, representatives of central executive bodies, heads of national companies, energy and housing-public utility experts, representatives of non-government organizations engaged in energy issues, etc.
In his opening speech, First Deputy Chairperson of the Committee Oleksandr Dombrovskyi said that the report of the energy minister was a part of the report of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. He said about Verkhovna Rada's failure to adopt the draft law No. 3325 "On amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine" (as to conditions of functioning of the natural gas market). He also said that the obligations to the Energy Community touching the implementation of the provisions of the Third Energy Package are lagging for at least a year in terms of adoption of respective laws, absence of comprehensive settlement of problems of the coal sector.
The minister of energy and coal industry stated that the key task set for the ministry by the coalition of democratic forces was the holding of systemic reforms under the principles in force in Europe, and creating fundamentals of the energy security of the state.
During 2015, the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine focused on consolidation of energy security, financial stabilization and effective development of fuel and energy sector.
In particular, the minister stated that the ministry managed to:
- maintain the Ukrainian unified energy grid during the historically complicated heating season of 2014-2015;
- considerably decrease dependence on the supplies of energy carriers from Russia;
- create legal grounds for new open European and competitive gas market;
- elaborate the draft law that changes the relations in the electric energy market;
- create grounds to reform the coal sector;
- commence the cleansing of the energy sector from corrupt officials;
- deregulate the fields of energy carriers extraction.
The minister determined the major tasks of the sector for 2016:
- further systemic changes in the natural gas market;
- neutralization of energy dependence on Russia;
- elaboration and introduction of program on development of the nuclear-industrial sector;
- achievement of profitability of state-owned mines;
- better efficiency in production and transportation of energy;
- support for renewable energy sources.
At the end of the meeting, Oleksandr Dombrovskyi noted the most important strategic trends for development of energy sector in 2016: necessity for renovation of the energy strategy, which will play the role of a roadmap, and priority of moving of the energy sector towards the European integration.