Objectives
The project aims at analyzing how Hungary could prepare for the energy security challenges that may emerge during the EU presidency of 2011. It tries to calculate how these problems could accurately be assessed and examines the possibility and effectiveness of the joint actions in order to improve the EU’s performance in situations such as the gas crises.

Background
Energy security is one of the most important current issues and one of the greatest security challenges directly affecting the European Union, which has already led to crises several times. The presidency of the Council of the EU takes a leading role in tackling these conflicts, and in reconciling the tensions among the countries concerning issues such as the gas pipe line investments. The lack of solidarity, the varying structure of energy industry within each member states and the different foreign policy interests all hamper the forming of an effective common policy, which Hungary will have to address in the first half of 2011.

Project Description
The Centre for Euro-Atlantic Integration and Democracy (CEID) and the ICDT will organize a conference where Hungarian and international professionals, businessmen and politicians will have discussions on these topics. The lecturers will engage in the issue within two main panels, one addressing the general role and scope of EU presidencies and another one assessing the specific tasks of the Hungarian chairmanship.