EU-China Roadmap on energy cooperation (2016-2020)
Against the background of multiple challenges related to addressing climate
change, environmental degradation and energy security and changing market
conditions, China and the European Union have a mutual interest and role to
promote low-carbon development, protect the environment, address climate
change and encourage clean energy development.
Therefore, having agreed that the goals of future cooperation between the EU
and China in the field of energy should be to:
• Ensure that energy cooperation makes a key contribution to the
comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the EU;
• Enhance mutual trust in energy cooperation;
• Streamline the coordination of cooperation in the field of energy;
• Build mutual trust on market-related energy issues;
• Contribute to the transformation of the energy system, to the sustainable
development of the global energy system and to energy and climate
resilient investment;
China and the EU intend to enhance collaboration in areas of mutual interest
related to the management of the energy system – on both the supply and the
demand sides - as well as other relevant crosscutting issues.
A. Energy Supply: Sourcing, Production and Distribution
Both China and the EU are highly dependent on imports of fossil energy sources
and together represent approximately a third of total global consumption. This
creates common interests in the pursuit of energy security, cleaner technologies
and renewable energy sources. Future cooperation related to the
Supply of
Energy should focus on three sectors: renewable energies, fossil fuels and
nuclear power.
1. Renewable energy sources
a. Foster trade and investment in renewable energy, thereby reducing
costs by improving competition.
b. Develop distributed generation and Combined Heat and Power (CHP):
• Jointly promote the development and the implementation of
distributed energy resource systems as well as cogeneration of
electricity based on renewable energy sources, in particular in less
developed regions;
• Share best practices in the promotion, development and
implementation of CHP production from renewable energy sources;
• Facilitate the construction of infrastructure and the development of
the market for district heating and cooling and for CHP.
d. Expand the bio-gas sector:
• Exchange insights on bio-gas technologies, markets and policies;
• Further the production of methane and bio-gas, encourage the
uptake of new technologies and equipment in this sector.
2. Power grid sector:
• Explore opportunities of distributed energy generation;
• Promote the further development of intelligent, flexible and more
reliable distribution networks, in particular smart grids.
3. Fossil fuels
a. Energy Crisis Prevention and Management:
• Establish a joint platform for managing (potential) energy supply
disruptions;
• Promote mutual understanding and strategy coordination for energy
crisis management.
b. Technical exchanges on the flexibility of thermal power generation and
CHP;
c. Technical and policy cooperation on efficient electricity generation
from clean coal and gas
4. Nuclear safety
• Exchange of ideas and experiences and cooperation among
concerned actors in industry, civil society and different levels of
government in the EU and China.
B. Energy Demand: Consumption
Energy demand continues to increase in the EU and China, with considerable
economic, environmental and technical implications. This creates common
interests in improving the management of the energy system on the consumption
side, as well as in using energy more efficiently. Future cooperation related to
energy demand will focus on demand side management and on increasing
energy efficiency.
1. Demand side management
a. Management of the energy system:
• Share information on energy demand/supply analysis and
management methods to keep the energy system in balance;
• Share calculation methodologies for determining the appropriate
energy mix.
b. Management of the electric energy system:
• Explore Demand Side Management policies related to electricity;
• Grid structure design;
• Cross-border and regional power transmission infrastructure
development;
• Optimisation of grid system and measures to expand the application
of renewable energy.
2. Energy efficiency
a. Promote the production and consumption of energy-efficient
appliances:
• Work towards harmonising energy labels of appliances, equipment
and buildings.
b. Develop energy standards in consumer goods:
• Strengthen the cooperation on energy consumption standards for
consumer goods, aiming at mutual recognition of existing and
future schemes;
• Increase business cooperation in eco-design, systemic design and
circular economy planning at the industrial level (manufacturing,
transportation, energy, food, land use).
c. Develop a market-oriented Energy Performance Contracting (EPC)
system.
C. Cross-cutting Issues
1. Energy regulation and pricing
a. Share best practices on energy regulation:
• Build a cooperation platform on energy regulation.
b. Enhancing coordination in regulatory policies:
• Work towards harmonising regulatory policies on grid
development, including dispatching policies;
• Promote transparent regulation of oil and gas pipeline
infrastructure.
c. Reform energy supply prices and support policies:
• Share experiences on the reform of energy pricing and support
policies, especially in terms of pricing policies of renewable energy,
electricity market and natural gas markets.
2. Energy and the environment
a. Promote the mobilisation of market mechanisms for environmental
protection:
• Endeavour to develop market mechanisms that incite cleaner
production;
• Encourage the development of a market for green goods that reduce
energy consumption.
b. Link energy conservation and environmental protection policies:
• Give priority to environmental cooperation projects, including
those with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency;
• Include energy efficiency in environmental policy guidelines.
3. International cooperation
a. Improve trade and investment conditions in the energy sector.
b. Engage in international energy institutions:
• Support China's increased involvement in international energy
institutions;
• Cooperate within the framework of the Energy Charter Treaty
(ECT).
Both sides envisage establishing cooperation inter alia through:
• Dialogues and policy discussions on regulatory frameworks, market
developments, trade, investment and the global energy architecture, as
well as an energy research platform for exchange of views on technical
and technological developments;
• Business-to-business fora in the energy sector;
• Cooperation projects that develop and implement energy efficient, clean
and low-carbon technologies.
Progress in the aforementioned priority areas should be reviewed no later than in
2018 on the basis of a report that will be drawn up by the relevant services.
This EU-China Roadmap on Energy Cooperation does not constitute an
agreement under international law.
European Union
Government of P.R.C.
Commissioner for Climate Action
National Energy Administrator
and Energy
Miguel Arias Cañete
Nur Bekri
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