The China National Energy Administration (NEA) and Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission (DG ENER) jointly held a China-EU Energy Policy Workshop in Beijing on September 19 and 20. Deputy director of the NEA, Li Fanrong, and EU ambassador, Hans Dietmar Schweisgut, delivered the opening address of the workshop.

Mr. Li highlighted that China and the European Union are important energy consumers and producers, as well as key forces in maintaining global energy security. “We’ve achieved mutual benefit and win-win situations in recent years in terms of energy sector cooperation, and I hope we can reach a higher level in the future,” he stated.

Mr. Schweisgut underscored the EU’s experience, clean energy practices, and energy efficiency progress, emphasizing continued economic and social development alongside reduced energy consumption. He reinforced the EU’s willingness to share its lessons with China and to face the challenge together.

Dr. Jan Rosenow, director of RAP’s Europe program, provided an overview of Europe’s energy efficiency achievements, which include reducing energy intensity—unit of energy per unit of gross domestic product—by almost 30 percent over the last 10 years. Total energy demand also fell by about 10 percent over the same period, due primarily to a regulatory framework that supports efficiency.

Around 80 officials and energy experts from NEA and the EU were invited to the high-level conference, which addressed China-EU energy policy, changes in the power sector, market monitoring, energy efficiency, and renewable energy development.