On October 30th - 31st 2003, OPET Network Annual General meeting took place in Bratislava. For the first time, a country from the Eastern and Central Europe became a host of the international OPET Network members’ (Organizations for the Promotion of Energy Technologies) conference. Organisation and local arrangements were provided by Energy Centre Bratislava, a member of OPET Slovakia. The overall coordinator was CO-OPET in cooperation with PRACSIS and the conference was shielded by the European Commission, DG TREN, Ministry of Economy of Slovak Republic and the city of Bratislava.

The main objective of the conference was to envision the future of the OPET Network, to define its key-activities and to explore the new opportunities in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, transport and buildings in enlarged Europe.

The European Commission was represented by Mr. Jose Anselmo (Department of Dissemination and Valorization of Technology, Energy and Transport) and Mr. Gonzalo Molina (Director of Demand Management - Directorate D), representatives of Directorate-General for Energy and Transport (DG TREN). In their presentations, the future of the OPET Network was outlined.

OPET‘s future will depend upon its ability to enable and to support the application of technology R&D on the market. Indeed, the EC has clearly indicated that financing of OPETs will be dependant upon their ability to position themselves in this way. OPETs will focus on a new target group - the end-users of the energy, future citizens of the enlarged European Union.

The most difficult tasks that have to be solved are the buildings and transport (especially in the cities). It is necessary to integrate the key-tools such as demand and supply, legislation, technology and market economic mechanism in appropriate way.

Mr. Gonzalo Molina indicated several political/legislative tools of Demand Management:

• White Book on RES

• Action plan for EE in Europe

• Directive on RES-electricity

• Directive on appliances

• Directive on energy performance of buildings

Implementation of directives on cogeneration, biofuels and energy services is expected.

These directives have to be implemented into the candidates countrys’ legislation after joining the EU, too.

As Mr. Gonzalo Molina informed, The European Commission will especially support implementation of the projects focused on research and development, renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in the candidate countries in the near future. Candidate countries thus have a great opportunity to gain financial sources for their projects, mainly from the Intelligent Energy for Europe Program and the Sixth Framework Program. Projects providing complex solution and projects of local character will hold a precedence. Organizations, enterprises and cities may apply for the support for their projects.

Through implementation of the projects, regions themselves may help to reduce energy consumption since the legislation protecting consumers does not exist in Slovakia so far. Unlike the member states and many candidate countries, Slovakia does not have efficient legislation on energy audit and energy efficiency. After EU accession, the above mentioned directives have to be implemented.

Energy Centre Bratislava (ECB) and Slovak Energy Agency are representatives of the OPET Network in Slovakia. ECB will continue supporting of the innovative energy technologies implementation and disseminating of information through media campaigns, workshops, energy efficiency consultations for households and organizing conferences on the EE and RES topics (International Slovak Biomass Forum, Central European Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources Conference).