Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič in Germany to discuss electro mobility, batteries and a just transition from coal

European Commission's Vice-President for the Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič travels to Germany for a two-day series of meetings focused mainly on Europe's competiveness in the field of electro mobility and the support for a just transition in coal-intensive regions.

He spoke in Berlin at the Electric Mobility Networking Conference 2018 today, alongside Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier, with a special focus on the battery cell production in Europe. This topical matter will also be discussed during their joint meeting with industry representatives from the wide variety of segments of the battery value chain.

Vice-President Šefčovič said:

Batteries are instrumental to power clean mobility and clean energy systems. Thanks to genuine involvement of all actors, Germany is playing a leading role in the European Battery Alliance. The Commission is set to foster these decisive steps towards Europe's strategic independence and leadership in this area.

The Vice-President will deliver a keynote speech at the EurActiv-led conference on the Future of the European Single Energy Market and he will also meet the Federal Minister of Environment Svenja Schulze to discuss steps ahead of the COP24 in December in Katowice, Poland.

Tomorrow, Wednesday 14 November, Vice-President Šefčovič will visit alongside Minister President of Brandenburg Dietmar Woidke a number of sites in the Lausitz region where lignite mining remains a part of the economic fabric. He will stress the Commission's commitment to a just transition towards a modern, decarbonised economy that leaves no region behind.

• Speech by Vice-President Šefčovič at the Networking Conference on Electro Mobility 2018 
• Coal regions in transition
• EC Europe by Satellite photo