The panel entitled Energy and Climate Changes particularly stressed the meaning of the global role of Europe in the endeavours to reduce the warming of the atmosphere. In this process joint attitude towards economical energy consumption and environmental protection is – of key importance. Among others, the following speakers also introduced their viewpoints on the subject: Andrej Vizjak, Minister of Economic Affairs, Ana Palacio, former Spanish Foreign Minister and Vice-President and General Counsel of the World Bank, Hans van der Loo, Head of European Union Liaison of Royal Dutch Shell company, Ernest Petrič, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and others. However, the fact that within a hundred years energy demand has substantially increased is very alarming, and today we spend as much energy in only one day as we did one hundred years ago in two years. This is why new technologies are extremely important for enabling greater energy efficiency and above all for contributing to reduced carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. At this moment nuclear power stations have a 16-percent share on a global level, which means energy independence of certain countries. Hence, the energy strategy on the European Union level would, among other things, also encourage the conscience of the public with regard to future energy solutions.
In dealing with all key questions of the contemporary Europe, more than 400 most prominent government representatives, politicians, European Union representatives, head representatives of the private sector and expert groups as well as non-governmental organizations from 50 countries and 6 international organizations participated within the Bled Strategic Forum. This year’s themes were connected to preparations of Slovenia for its Presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2008. Hence, the head decision-makers from public, private, and academic sectors discussed the subjects combined in the following panels:
- Further EU enlargement
- Energy and Climate Changes
- Global prevalence
- The future of the European Union integration process
Two round tables have also been organized:
- Economic and political aspirations in the Southern Caucasus and Central Asia: The role of
EU and OSCE
- Turkey in Europe.
