Background:

The Energy Community and International Energy Agency (IEA) are organising the first Energy Community Oil Forum on 24 - 25 September 2009 in Belgrade, Serbia.

In December 2008, the Energy Community Ministerial Council decided to establish the Oil Forum as a new, pan - regional consultation platform for the oil sector in Southeast Europe. The first meeting of the Forum will:

• assess the medium-term outlook for oil and oil product markets among Energy Community members and observers;
• review the situation of oil stocks and emergency preparedness in the region, an integral part of the region’s approach to security of energy supply;
• evaluate the EU legislation in the area of oil and assess a possible extension of the Energy Community acquis to the oil sector;
• review regional developments and experience with exploration, production and licensing of oil activities;
• discuss existing and planned infrastructure projects that could improve the security of oil and oil product supply for members and observers of the Energy Community.

The Forum will be opened by the H.E. Mr. Mirko Cvetkovic, Prime Minister of Republic of Serbia, Mr. Didier Houssin, Director for Energy Markets and Security, IEA and Mr Fabrizio Barbaso, Deputy-Director General, DG TREN, European Commission.

The keynote speakers will host a press conference on 24 September 2009 at 15:30 hours, at EXPO XXI Belgrade International Expocentre, Spanskih boraca 74A , 11070 New Belgrade.

Ministers, high-level representatives from the Energy Community Contracting Parties, public and private oil companies, investors, international financial institutions and donors will discuss the challenges and opportunities for the development of oil stocks in the region.

Welcome and Inaugural speeches

H.E. Mr. Mirko Cvetkovic, Prime Minister of Republic of Serbia
Mr. Didier Houssin, Director for Energy Markets and Security, IEA
Mr. Fabrizio Barbaso, Deputy-Director General, DG TREN, European Commission

1st SESSION: The Oil Dimension of the Energy Community

Oil Forum and Oil Industry in the region
Mr. Zoran Filipovic, Assistant Minister for Oil and Gas - Ministry of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia      

A statistical and analytical overview on the situation of the oil sector in the Contracting Parties and Observers of the Energy Community and the relevant developments – based on the completed Questionnaire
Mr. Adrian Jasimi – Oil Expert, Energy Community Secretariat

SEE and the Medium-Term Outlook for the Oil Sector
Mr. Didier Houssin, Director for Energy Markets and Security, IEA

2nd SESSION: Emergency Oil Stocks

Maintaining the emergency oil stocks and perspectives - conclusions of Zagreb Workshop on "Establishment of emergency oil stocks in SEE “held in May 2009
Mr. Kresimir Baranovic – Director General, HANDA – Croatia

Oil stocks and security: the experience of IEA countries
Mr. Aad Van Bohemen, Head of the Emergency Policy Division, IEA

The new EU Directive on minimum stocks of crude oil and/or petroleum products
Mr. Klaus Dietmar Jacoby - DG-TREN, EC.

Keynote speech: Perspective for downstream oil business in Europe
Mr. Chris Beddoes, Deputy-Secretary General, EUROPIA

3rd SESSION: Oil infrastructure projects:

New pipeline projects

• Pan European Oil Pipeline (PEOP)
  Mr Srdjan Mihajlovic for commercial and technical issues
  Dr. Bratislav Ceperkovic for geopolitical and regional issues
  
  
• AMBO Pipeline
  Mr Ted Ferguson, President of AMBO Project
  
  
• Short information regarding the latest development of Bourgas Alexandropoulos  oil pipeline
  Mr. Tim Gould

Investments in refining capacities in Serbia
Mr. Kiril Kravchenko – General Director NIS / Gazpromneft

4th SESSION   Exploration, Production and Licensing

Experience of Contracting Parties and Participants with Directive 94/22/EC for granting exploration and production licenses:

• Albania – Mr. Milo Kuneshka, Chairman, AKBN       
• Croatia - Mr. Boris Maksijan -Ministry of Economy, Labor and Entrepreneurship, Croatia
• Romania – Mr. Mihai Silviu German - Senior Advisor of NAMR