Event
European Economic and Social Committee, Brussels
31.03.2025
14:00 - 17:20

Consumer Focus 2025

Consumer Focus 2025, co-organised by CEER, the European Commission (DG ENER), and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), took place on Monday, 31 March 2025, as a hybrid event in Brussels and online. The in-person venue was the European Economic and Social Committee, located at Rue Van Maerlant 2, 1000 Brussels.

This year, the conference explored the role of decentralised energy systems in empowering consumers. Key discussions focused on:

  • Increasing affordability and resilience of consumers’ energy bills through innovative schemes (collective and individual self-consumption, demand-side response, energy communities).
  • Addressing vulnerable consumers' access to energy-sharing schemes and energy communities.
  • Overcoming regulatory barriers and enabling access to energy sharing and energy communities.

The event examined how consumers could actively engage in and benefit from the energy transition.

Programme
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Documents
06.02.2025

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Programme

14:00 - 14:10

Welcome Address & Opening Remarks

Speakers

Mara Berzina

Mara Berzina

Secretary General, CEER
Biography
Mara Berzina
Secretary General, CEER

Mara Berzina is Secretary General of CEER and plays a key role in advocating for and coordinating regulatory efforts within the energy sector.

Before joining CEER, Ms Berzina gained valuable experience in regulating public services across various sectors in Latvia, including energy, electronic communications, postal services, municipal waste management, and water management. She has been actively involved in regulatory matters since 2016, contributing to the development and implementation of policies and standards in these sectors.

Ms Berzina holds a master’s degree in business administration and management, from Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences in Latvia.

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14:10 - 14:30

Keynote Speech

Speakers

Alejandro Ulzurrun

Alejandro Ulzurrun

Head of Unit B1, DG ENER, European Commission
Biography
Alejandro Ulzurrun
Head of Unit B1, DG ENER, European Commission

Alejandro Ulzurrun is the head of the Consumers, Local Initiatives, Just Transition unit in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy, where he has previously been in charge of the Energy Security and Safety unit and the Inter-institutional Relations and Communication unit. He joined the European Commission in 1997, holding different responsibilities in several of its departments (Enterprise, Communication, External Relations) and its Secretariat-General. Between 2010 and 2014, he was head of unit in the Commission’s Spokesperson’s Service.

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Baiba Miltoviča

Baiba Miltoviča

President of the Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN), European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
Biography
Baiba Miltoviča
President of the Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN), European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

Baiba Miltovica was appointed President of the “Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and Information Society” Section (TEN) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in 2020. At the same time, Ms Miltovica serves as Board Member of the Latvian National Association for Consumer Protection (LPIAA), member of the European Consumers Organisation (BEUC). In her previous mandate at the EESC, Ms Miltovica held a position as Vice-President of the Civil Society Organisations Group and was an active member of the TEN Section, the Single Market, Production and Consumption Section (INT) and the Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion Section (ECO) of the EESC.

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14:30 - 15:25

Session I: Panel Discussion – Consumer Perspective: Increasing Affordability and Resilience for Consumers through Different Methods of Consumer Activation

Speakers

Louise Sunderland

Louise Sunderland

Managing Principal, Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)
Biography
Louise Sunderland
Managing Principal, Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)

Louise Sunderland is Director of the Europe Programme within the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP). Louise is an energy policy expert with 17 years’ experience. She has particular expertise in demand-side energy policies, energy system integration and energy justice. Louise is also Chair of the Advisory Board of the UK’s Energy Demand Research Centre and a member of the SmartEn advisory council. 

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Natalie McCoy

Natalie McCoy

Co-Chair of the Customers and Retail Market Working Group, CEER
Biography
Natalie McCoy
Co-Chair of the Customers and Retail Market Working Group, CEER

Ms McCoy joined Portugal’s Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) in 2016 to lead its international relations. Prior to ERSE, she served as Secretary General of the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER) between 2011 and 2015.

In addition to her responsibilities at ERSE, Natalie co-chairs the CEER Customers and Retail Markets Working Group, following three years as vice chair. She also co-chairs the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) Retail Working Group, established in 2021.

In parallel, she serves as co-chair of CEER’s Gas Decarbonisation Legislation Workstream, since September 2016. Natalie has more than fourteen years’ experience in energy regulation, focusing on customer rights, regulatory governance and electricity and gas market design. With an academic background in political science and EU affairs, she worked at the European Parliament prior to moving into energy regulation.

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Roland Tual

Roland Tual

Project Manager, REScoop.eu
Biography
Roland Tual
Project Manager, REScoop.eu

Roland Tual joined the European Federation of Renewable Energy Cooperatives, REScoop.eu, in 2017. He holds a Master’s degree in political science and worked for three years in EU regulatory affairs at the Smart Energy Demand Coalition (now smartEn). He has also worked as a consultant on renewable energy and energy efficiency. At REScoop.eu, Roland focuses on various topics related to the digitalisation of energy and supports energy communities in implementing related services, particularly self-consumption, energy sharing, and demand response.

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Sven Van Elst

Sven Van Elst

Managing Director, ASTER
Biography
Sven Van Elst
Managing Director, ASTER

Sven Van Elst studied Germanic languages and literature at the University of Antwerp (Belgium). After his studies, he worked for ten years as a teacher of Dutch as a foreign language at the University of Antwerp and was actively involved in several European projects for the development of foreign language teaching materials.

From 2004 to 2010, he worked successively as a parliamentary assistant in the Chamber of Representatives and as a cabinet member at the Province of Antwerp.

In 2010, he transitioned to the social housing sector as a staff member at the umbrella organisation of Flemish social housing companies, VVH (Association of Flemish Housing Companies), now Initia Vlaanderen. In 2017, he became General Secretary of VVH.

He was actively involved in the preparation and implementation of the ASTER project, which ran from 2018 to 2022 with the support of the European Investment Bank.

In 2022, after a brief period as Operational Director, Sven Van Elst became General Manager of ASTER, a cooperative company of Flemish social landlords, with the primary objective of supporting the sector in making its housing stock more sustainable.

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15:40 - 16:15

Session II: Spotlight on Real life Examples Across Europe – Addressing Vulnerable Consumers’ Access to Renewable Energy

Speakers

Dimitri Vergne

Dimitri Vergne

Head of Energy, Transport and Sustainability, BEUC, The European Consumer Organisation
Biography
Dimitri Vergne
Head of Energy, Transport and Sustainability, BEUC, The European Consumer Organisation

Dimitri Vergne is Head of Energy, Transport, and Sustainability at BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation. He joined BEUC in November 2017 and was initially responsible for sustainable mobility files. He studied Political and Administrative Studies at the College of Europe in Bruges, as well as Political Science in Lille (France) and Münster (Germany).

BEUC serves as the umbrella organisation in Brussels for its members, with its main role being to represent them at the European level and defend the interests of consumers across Europe. BEUC monitors EU decisions and developments that may affect consumers, with a particular focus on

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Halina Jagielska

Halina Jagielska

Coordinator of the Young Energy Consumer Task Force, European Youth Energy Network
Biography
Halina Jagielska
Coordinator of the Young Energy Consumer Task Force, European Youth Energy Network

Halina Jagielska is a law graduate specialising in energy policy and the head of the Young Energy Consumers Task Force at the European Youth Energy Network. She leads a team dedicated to enhancing youth participation in the energy transition and has presented their research at key forums such as the European Commission’s Citizens’ Energy Forum, the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub, and the IEA’s workshops on People-Centred Clean Energy Transition.

Halina’s work combines policy analysis with advocacy for a just and inclusive energy transition in Europe, with a strong focus on promoting youth-inclusive community power solutions. Throughout her career, in addition to her work in the private sector, she has also served as a research fellow at the University of Bergen (Norway) and the University of Cologne. She is now set to begin her involvement with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, focusing primarily on system integration and large-scale renewables, including their socialisation.

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Laia Musach

Laia Musach

Board Member, Balenyà Sostenible
Biography
Laia Musach
Board Member, Balenyà Sostenible

Laia Musach graduated in Industrial Engineering and Economic Analysis from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering while completing an internship at Esitec Energia, where she is involved in various projects related to renewable energy and energy efficiency.  

During her Erasmus exchange at Chalmers University of Technology, she developed a strong interest in district heating and cooling, which led her to become involved with Balenyà Sostenible. She first engaged with the organization by writing her bachelor’s thesis on a project that combined both her academic research and its initiatives. 

With a great passion for renewable energies, Laia now serves as a board member of Balenyà Sostenible, believing that local action has the power to shape a stronger, more sustainable community. Her dedication demonstrates how getting involved in local projects can create meaningful change, leaving a lasting impact on the future of her town. 

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Virgínia Pelejero

Virgínia Pelejero

Governing Board, Balenyà Sostenible
Biography
Virgínia Pelejero
Governing Board, Balenyà Sostenible

Virgínia Pelejero studied Biological Sciences at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) before moving to the United Kingdom, where she pursued European Business Studies at West Kent College. Since 1996, she has been working as an SAP consultant for the Japanese multinational company KAO Corporation. 
 
She is a founding member of Balenyà Sostenible, a non-profit citizen-led energy community for shared consumption. She currently serves on its Governing Board. The cooperative was established in 2021 to generate and share energy among the residents of the small village of Els Hostalets de Balenyà in Osona, Catalonia. 
 
Together with her husband, Dr. Carles Cuadrada, she collaborates with various NGOs in Casamance, Senegal, supporting initiatives related to energy generation and healthcare. 

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16:15 - 17:10

Session III: Panel Discussion – Regulatory Perspective: Barriers and Solutions for the Implementation of Energy Sharing and Energy Communities

Speakers

Achille Hannoset

Achille Hannoset

Policy and Legal Officer, DG ENER European Commission
Biography
Achille Hannoset
Policy and Legal Officer, DG ENER European Commission

Achille Hannoset works in DG ENER’s unit for Consumers, Local Initiatives and Just transition as policy and legal officer. Achille is part of the team following up on the implementation of the Electricity Market Directive, Gas Market Directive and the more recent Electricity Market Design reform. He is responsible for topics related to citizen engagement, consumer empowerment and retail markets. 

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Carlos Castel

Carlos Castel

Team Lead for the EG coordinators, EU DSO Entity
Judit Krajcs

Judit Krajcs

Distribution System Working Group Vice-Chair, CEER
Biography
Judit Krajcs
Distribution System Working Group Vice-Chair, CEER

Dr Judit Krajcs has been working at the Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority since 2016 as an international electricity expert in the International Affairs Department, under the Vice President for Strategic and International Affairs. Her core responsibilities include DSO regulation, flexibility, balancing markets, and European market integration.

She is Vice-Chair of the Distribution Systems Working Group in CEER and regularly contributes as a drafter to DS WG publications.

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Seamus Byrne

Seamus Byrne

Policy Officer, EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER)
Biography
Seamus Byrne
Policy Officer, EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER)

Seamus Byrne is a Policy Officer at the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), leading electricity and gas retail market monitoring activities. He serves as Co-Convener of ACER’s Retail Market Monitoring Report Task Force, overseeing the delivery ACER’s retail monitoring obligations. With over a decade of experience in energy regulation and policy development, Seamus has held  roles at ACER, EirGrid, and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). His experience spans retail energy markets, strategic policy development, revenue control, and stakeholder engagement. 

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17:10 - 17:20

Closing Remarks

Speakers

Karen Trant

Karen Trant

Customer and Retail Market Working Group Co-Chair, CEER