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IEA Members agree to start accession process with Brazil at the 2026 Ministerial in Paris
…the government’s intention to seek membership and build on years of close cooperation in areas such as energy security, data and statistics and policy analysis.As part of the accession process, Brazil will work with the IEA Secretariat and member governments to meet the Agency’s membership criteria including obligations related to oil stockholding, emergency response measures and data reporting as set out in IEA governance frameworks.The start of Brazil’s accession process toward IEA membership further reinforces the IEA’s role as the leading organisation on international energy cooperation, particularly at a time of evolving energy markets…
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IEA Member countries to carry out largest ever oil stock release amid market disruptions from Middle East conflict
…size,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “Oil markets are global so the response to major disruptions needs to be global too. Energy security is the founding mandate of the IEA, and I am pleased that IEA Members are showing strong solidarity in taking decisive action together.”The emergency stocks will be made available to the market over a timeframe that is appropriate to the national circumstances of each Member country and will be supplemented by additional emergency measures by some countries.IEA members hold emergency stockpiles of over 1.2 billion barrels, with a further 600 million barrels of industry stocks…
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Joint Statement in Support of the IEA-Ukraine Collaboration Programme
…gas supply security, energy savings and a transition to a more secure, sustainable, resilient and affordable energy system that is integrated with Europe. We commend the IEA’s intensification of activities under that Programme, as IEA Ministers requested at the 2024 Ministerial Meeting.We applaud and support the IEA’s contributions to further enhancing cooperation with Ukraine through the IEA-Ukraine Collaboration Programme, and request that the IEA Secretariat continue to work through the Programme to support Ukraine’s reconstruction needs. We express our appreciation to the IEA Secretariat for continuing to provide analysis of Ukraine’s current energy situation…
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Romania makes formal request to join the IEA as a Member country
…the global energy authority,” said Dr Birol. “From my meetings with Romanian leaders, it is clear that they are deeply committed to improving energy security, affordability and sustainability, and understand the powerful role of international collaboration in meeting those objectives.”The formal request follows Dr Birol’s visit to Bucharest in November 2025, during which he met with Romania’s President Dan Nicușor, Prime Minister Ilie Gavril Bolojan Dan, and Minister Ivan. The discussions underscored the Romanian government’s strong interest in deepening cooperation with the IEA and highlighted the Agency’s role as the global authority on energy.Romania…
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The Value of Demand Flexibility: Benefits beyond balancing
…Security and the United Nations Environment Programme.As electricity demand rises and power systems become more decentralised and renewable-rich, and electrified in this ‘Age of Electricity’, managing when and how electricity is used is increasingly as important as expanding supply.Demand flexibility, the ability to adjust electricity consumption in response to system conditions, is emerging as a critical pillar of modern and efficient power systems.This policy brief examines, in addition to system balancing, how demand flexibility can enhance energy efficiency, strengthen energy security, and reduce system and consumer costs. It can additionally support the integration of clean energy…
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EU4Energy
…winter energy security plan Building robust and flexible energy policies Today’s energy policy landscape is shaped by the need to prepare for an uncertain future. To ensure decisions made today remain relevant and effective in the long term, governments must adopt a scenario-based approach supported by robust energy system modelling. However, building and maintaining this analytical capacity—both in terms of tools and skilled personnel—requires sustained investment. Reliable national energy statistics are also essential to underpin accurate modelling and scenario analysis.This EU4Energy report draws on IEA expertise to guide countries in strengthening their long-term energy…
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Ministerial Opening and Scene Setting
Speakers will set the scene for the 2026 IEA Ministerial Meeting, highlighting key international issues of energy security, affordability and sustainability of energy.
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Tackling rare earth supply risks
…dysprosium and terbium, which are used in these magnets. Today, China accounts for around 60% of global mined production of these elements – and its share of refining for them is above 90%. The country also accounts for almost 95% of permanent magnet production.
When a single country controls the supply chain for a fuel, material or technology, it creates significant energy and economic security risks. For rare earths, this came into clear view last year, when China introduced export controls on numerous rare earth elements, as well as on related compounds and magnets. This resulted in significant short-term disruptions…
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New podcast episode delves into IEA’s historic release of emergency oil stocks
…episode features IEA Director of Energy Markets and Security Keisuke Sadamori, who unpacks the decision, explaining how it was made and what happens now. He also puts it into historical context and highlights why this crisis has amounted to the biggest shock to global oil markets in history.For more details on the emergency stock release, you can read our latest press release here.The Everything Energy podcast offers perspectives on a wide range of leading global energy issues.Previous episodes cover the vast potential of geothermal energy, nuclear energy’s comeback, energy and AI, key energy investment trends, the forces…
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Romania begins accession process towards IEA membership
…said Dr Birol. “Romania is playing an increasingly significant role in regional energy security and has demonstrated a strong commitment to international cooperation on energy policy. We look forward to working closely with the Romanian government as it advances towards IEA membership.”The decision builds on the growing cooperation between Romania and the IEA. During Dr Birol’s visit to Bucharest in November 2025, meetings with Romanian leaders underscored the government’s support for the IEA’s mission and its interest in deepening cooperation with the Agency on shared energy priorities.As part of the accession process, the IEA Secretariat…
