Seventh Ukraine Breakfast Debate: Representatives of the DiXi Group discuss the reforms of the Ukrainian energy sector
The seventh Ukraine Breakfast Debate within the project “Platform for Analytics and Intercultural Communication” (PAIC) took place on 3 May 2018. The representatives from the Ukrainian think tank DiXi Group, Olena Pavlenko, Roman Nitsovych and Denys Nazarenko, presented first results of the reform process within the Ukrainian energy sector at our institute and discussed together with German expert about the successes and challenges of reforms, the EU-Ukraine-Russia energy triangle as well as the influence of Nord Stream 2 on this relationship triangle.
The DiXi Group experts showed that the reform process already had a great positive influence on the Ukrainian energy sector. Considerable steps towards a full-fledged harmonisation with EU standards have been made within the gas and electricity market. The implementation of the Third Energy Package has not only paved the way towards a full integration of Ukraine into the European energy market but has also further ensured the stability and transparency of the Ukrainian market.
The history of the Ukrainian-Russian energy relationship was a further aspect for discussion. The experts shed light on the most important phases within the relationship since Ukraine’s independence (1991) and discussed the economic as well as political dimensions. Moreover, the construction of the natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, its legal context and its influence of the role of Ukraine as a transit country were core topics of the subsequent question round. Ukraine has established itself as reliable transit partner for the European gas market. However, Nord Stream 2 will make Ukraine’s future as an essential transit country increasingly unsure and will also lead to considerable economic losses. The actual consequences of Nord Stream 2 for Central and Western European states remain similarly unclear. Subsequently, Dr. Kirsten Westphal, Senior Associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), commented on the developments within the energy triangle and illustrated the German point of view on this relationship.
Olena Pavlenko is the founder and president of DiXi Group that since more than 15 years predominantly deals with issues related to energy politics and energy security. Furthermore, she is the founder of the online platform “Ukrajinskaja Enerhetyka” as well as deputy director of the multi stakeholder group of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) – an independent transparency standard in 51 countries. Roman Nitosvych is the DiXi Group expert on energy reforms. Denys Nazarenko is DiXi Group’s legal experts and deals with questions on European integration within the energy sector and energy community. You can find out more about DiXi Group as well as energy sector reforms in the interview with Olena Pavlenko from our “Klartext”-series (available in German or Ukrainian).
The Ukraine Breakfast Debates take place within the framework of the project “Platform for Analytics and Intercultural Communication” (PAIC) and are designed as Ukraine expert talks on topical and relevant issues, which are discussed with our guests over croissants and coffee. The project “Platform for Analytics and Intercultural Communication” (PAIC) aims at supporting the Ukrainian think tank landscape as well as fostering the exchange between German and Ukrainian research institutions. The project is implemented by the Institute for European Politics (IEP, Berlin) in cooperation with the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF, Kyiv), the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation (DIF, Kyiv) and the think tank-initiative „think twice UA“ (Kyiv) and with the kind support of the Federal Foreign Office.
