Association Webinars: Gas Market Integration and Decarbonization in Southeastern and Central and Eastern Europe



  

The adoption of the internal gas market acquis by Member-States and membership hopefuls alike in the SEE and CEE is the key to the seamless depoliticization of the EU's external gas relations. This webinar aims to assess the status of this diffusion of hardware and software precepts in the region, as well as the challenges lying ahead in view of the decarbonization of the European gas sector.

Moderator/Speaker:

Menelaos (Mel) Ydreos, Executive Director, EnergyVantage Inc.

Menelaos (Mel) Ydreos is the Executive Director of EnergyVantage, a consulting firm specializing in supporting transformational energy strategies and solutions.

Areas of specialization include global energy policy and strategy, market assessment and implementation strategies and organizational cultural, revenue and cost transformation. Clients of EnergyVantage have included the International Gas Union where until recently, he supported the transformation of the Union from a technical association to one of strong global advocacy. He served the Union in the capacity of Public Affairs Director.

In his previous role with Union Gas Ltd--A Spectra Energy Company, Ydreos lead the company's government, municipal and aboriginal affairs activities. Other roles held during his career with Union Gas included Vice President, marketing and customer care, Vice President, operations and Vice President, engineering and gas supply operations. Mr. Ydreos also was Acting President and CEO of the Canadian Gas Association in the summer of 2009. In 2013-2014 he served as the Interim President and CEO of the Ontario Energy Association where he undertook the complete restructuring of that organization.

He has been active in the natural gas industry through his participation with the International Gas Union. Ydreos supported the American Gas Association in securing the IGU's 2015-2018 Presidency, as well as the 2018 World Gas Conference, which was held in Washington DC. During the IGU's USA Presidency and as the Chair, Coordination Committee, he oversaw the work and contribution of 1,000 global industry experts involved in the many IGU committees and task forces. During the 2009-2012 Malaysian Presidency, he served as chair of the Special Task Force on Geopolitics and Natural Gas. In the 2006-2009 Argentinean Presidency, Ydreos served as the vice chair of the Special Task Force on Research and Development and led the IGU's Best Practices Initiative.

Ydreos is the Founding Chair of Energy Technology and Innovation Canada, a past member of the Advisory Board of the University of Waterloo's Sustainability Institute, a member of Pollution Probe's Board of Directors and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Mowat Centre's Energy Fellow. Ydreos is past chair of the Standing Committee on Operations for the Canadian Gas Association, and has served on the board of directors of Canadian Standards International Group.

Speaker:

Mariana Liakopoulou is a Markets and Policy Associate working in the EU liaison office of the European Federation of Energy Traders (EFET). In this capacity, she undertakes analysis on topics related to the Fit for 55 package, emissions trading, gas decarbonisation and hydrogen, certification and guarantees of origin, as well as on topics related to the French and Greek power and gas markets. She also serves as Research Fellow in Energy Security with the NATO Association of Canada (NAOC), producing research works pertaining to Caspian energy policy and the liberalization of the European energy markets in Southeast and Central and Eastern Europe. Formerly, she was a consultant and member of the Roster of Experts of the Energy Community Secretariat. She has also worked in the Director’s office of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators. She started out as Energy Policy and Security Fellow with Caspian Policy Center (Washington DC.) Her publication record comprises works for various industry sources, including the International Association for Energy Economics, the United States Association for Energy Economics, Natural Gas World, the NATO ENSEC COE’s “Energy Highlights” journal, Gulf Intelligence and European Gas Hub. She holds a Master’s in International Relations and European Studies from the School of Economics and Political Science of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Her Master’s thesis looks into the Caspian legal status in relation to the European Commission’s strategy towards the Fourth/ Southern Gas Corridor.

 

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