Last Friday, October 25th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised a breakfast-debate with the participation of Zsuzsa Béres, Energy Attaché at the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU, who will speak about “The priorities of the Hungarian Presidency in the energy sector”.

In her speech, Zsuzsa Béres recalled the particular time and context of Hungary’s presidency since there is currently no ongoing legislative cycle as the European parliament and Commission are not formed yet. Hungary has therefore decided to use this time to study EU’s governance, reflect on past achievements, and gather insights from the experiences of EU Member States. This strategy aims to provide guidance for the next legislative cycle.

Particularly, electricity stands as one of the main priorities for Hungary’s presidency. Building on the foundations laid by the previous Belgian and Spanish presidencies, Hungary aims to address the EU’s high energy prices by advancing the ‘Budapest Declaration‘ to enhance competitiveness and make energy more affordable. Key initiatives include emphasizing and promoting a smarter utilization of geothermal energy. Zsuzsa Béres also highlighted Hungary’s stance on nuclear energy, noting the country’s membership in the Nuclear Alliance.

The session concluded with a round of questions, during which Zsuzsa Béres confirmed that the current Hungarian presidency is actively coordinating with the upcoming Polish presidency to set EU priorities. Through this collaboration, they hope to see their ideas progress to the final stages of policy implementation.