Event
Online
30.06.2026
14:00 - 17:30

CEER Annual Conference 2026

Under the theme United in Regulation: National Authorities, European Impact — Implementing the CEER 2026–2029 Strategy: National Regulators Driving the European Energy Transition, the CEER Annual Conference 2026 brought together national energy regulators, European institutions, and key stakeholders to examine how the Strategy's objectives can be translated into concrete regulatory practice across Member States.

Following the launch of the CEER 2026–2029 Strategy, the conference served as a critical forum to shape the next phase of EU energy policy. The conference addressed one of the central challenges facing European energy regulation today: maintaining affordable energy costs for consumers whilst mobilising the large-scale investment needed to modernise infrastructure and advance the energy transition.

Structured around CEER's three strategic pillars — optimising market-oriented solutions, empowering and protecting consumers, and deepening the integration of a fully decarbonised energy system.

The full event was professionally produced and live-streamed, allowing online participants worldwide to follow and engage with proceedings in real time. Speakers and panellists took the floor in person from Brussels.

The 2025 Annual Conference, which marked CEER's 25th Anniversary, can be revisited in full, including a recap video and highlights, on the CEER Annual Conference 2025 page.

 

Programme
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Documents
29.05.2026

Agenda

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Programme

14:00 - 14:10

Opening Remarks

Speakers

Annegret Groebel

Annegret Groebel

President, CEER
Biography
Annegret Groebel
President, CEER

Dr Annegret Groebel is Director of International Relations at the German Regulatory Authority for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railway (BNetzA). Dr Groebel has worked for BNetzA since 1998. She has been CEER President since January 2019 and was a Vice President of CEER since 2012. She also has chaired the CEER Market Integrity and Transparency (MIT) Working Group since 2013. She is a member of the Board of Regulators of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). Dr Groebel has a Doctorate in Economics from the University of Mannheim. She is also involved in the work of the Independent Regulators Group (IRG) and the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC).

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14:10 - 14:25

Keynote speech I

Speakers

Lisa Underwood

Lisa Underwood

Energy Attaché, Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU
14:25 - 15:25

Panel 1: Market Integration: Balancing European Convergence with National Realities

Ahead of upcoming debates on market integration, this panel looks at implementing the updated EU electricity market design from the perspective of national regulators. The core challenge is maintaining a cohesive pan-European wholesale market while respecting the distinct technical and geographic realities of individual national energy systems.

Speakers

Alda Ozola

Alda Ozola

Vice President, CEER
Biography
Alda Ozola
Vice President, CEER

Ms. Alda Ozola has been serving as a chair of the Public Utilities Commission in Latvia since July 2021. As a chair of multi-sector regulator, she focuses on dynamic regulation that would foster energy transition towards climate neutrality.

From 2013 until 2021 she was a Deputy State Secretary at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development with primary areas of responsibility being climate policy and sustainability, environmental protection and biodiversity.

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Johan Roupe

Johan Roupe

Senior Legal Adviser, Energy Markets Inspectorate
Mathilde Lallemand

Mathilde Lallemand

Team Leader, Electricity Market, DG Energy, European Commission
Max Schneider

Max Schneider

Policy Advisor Wholesale Markets, Eurelectric
15:25 - 15:40

Coffee Break

15:40 - 15:50

Keynote speech II

Speakers

Eamon Ryan

Eamon Ryan

Associate at Catalyse Europe and E3G and former Energy Minister in the Irish Government
15:50 - 16:50

Panel 2: Infrastructure Deployment and System Adequacy

Following the January 2026 Hamburg Summit and the launch of the EU Grids Package, this panel bridges the gap between political goals and regulatory implementation. Using the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) as a case study, it explores the practical realities of building a multi-terminal offshore grid.

The session will tackle the regulatory friction behind “hybrid” projects, focusing on fast-tracked permitting, cross-border cost-sharing, and integrating massive offshore wind volumes without risking onshore grid stability.

Speakers

Andreja Zevnik

Co-Convenor of Finance Advisory Group, ENTSO-E
Ines Bouacida

Ines Bouacida

Research fellow, Climate and Energy, IDDRI
Kevin Magner

Kevin Magner

Future interconnection and offshore hybrid assets, Ofgem
Koen Locquet

Koen Locquet

President of the Board of Directors, CREG
16:50 - 17:15

Poolside chat: Affordability and the “true” cost of Energy

Moving away from abstract policy and into macroeconomic realities, this poolside chat between the CEER President and Secretary General will explore how wholesale trends and massive grid investments directly impact final bills for European citizens and industries. Together, they will debate what national regulators can do to ensure infrastructure costs are allocated fairly and efficiently, maintaining public trust while advancing toward climate neutrality.

Speakers

Annegret Groebel

Annegret Groebel

President, CEER
Biography
Annegret Groebel
President, CEER

Dr Annegret Groebel is Director of International Relations at the German Regulatory Authority for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railway (BNetzA). Dr Groebel has worked for BNetzA since 1998. She has been CEER President since January 2019 and was a Vice President of CEER since 2012. She also has chaired the CEER Market Integrity and Transparency (MIT) Working Group since 2013. She is a member of the Board of Regulators of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). Dr Groebel has a Doctorate in Economics from the University of Mannheim. She is also involved in the work of the Independent Regulators Group (IRG) and the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC).

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Bram Claeys

Bram Claeys

Secretary General, CEER
Biography
Bram Claeys
Secretary General, CEER

Bram Claeys brings more than two decades of senior-level experience in energy policy and regulation at national, European and international levels. Before joining CEER, Mr Claeys served as Principal at the Regulatory Assistance Project, where he advised on long-term energy system planning, electricity market design and grid governance. He previously held senior roles including Director General of the Organisation for Sustainable Energy, Deputy Director at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, and Energy Policy Advisor to the Flemish Minister for Energy. Mr Claeys holds a Master of Science in Organic Chemistry and a Master of Development Cooperation from Ghent University, as well as a Master of Environmental Science and Technology from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

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17:15 - 17:30

Concluding Remarks

Speakers

Annegret Groebel

Annegret Groebel

President, CEER
Biography
Annegret Groebel
President, CEER

Dr Annegret Groebel is Director of International Relations at the German Regulatory Authority for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railway (BNetzA). Dr Groebel has worked for BNetzA since 1998. She has been CEER President since January 2019 and was a Vice President of CEER since 2012. She also has chaired the CEER Market Integrity and Transparency (MIT) Working Group since 2013. She is a member of the Board of Regulators of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). Dr Groebel has a Doctorate in Economics from the University of Mannheim. She is also involved in the work of the Independent Regulators Group (IRG) and the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC).

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