The Regional Initiatives were launched by ERGEG, with the support of the European Commission, in Spring 2006. The Regional Initiatives create 7 electricity and 3 gas regions. The aim is to identify and implement practical solutions to overcome barriers to trade and facilitiate regional market integration as a stepping stone to a single EU market for electricity and gas.

One year later, the European Commission and ERGEG hosted a joint conference to assess progress but also to identify the challenges ahead without losing sight of the shared objective - which is to integrate our fragmented national energy markets into regions, as a step towards a single EU energy market.

Distinguished speakers and panellists at the conference included Commissioner Piebalgs,  three MEPs (Mrs. Niebler, Mrs. Morgan and Mr. Turmes) as well as high level representatives from the Commission (Mr. C. Jones, Mr. Barbaso, and Mr. Hilbrecht), ERGEG and industry. See the conference proceedings below.