Iustinian Captariu, Partner at Kinstellar’s Bucharest office and head of the firm’s local Energy & Natural Resources practice, moderated an expert panel discussion at the annual European Gas Conference organised by the World Refining Association in Vienna between 29 and 30 January 2019.

Panel participants included representatives from the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), the Austrian energy regulator E-Control, and executives from French natural gas transmission system operator GRTgaz and leading energy-sector software developer Energy Exemplar.

The panel focused on whether there is sufficient infrastructure in place to support the European Commission’s vision of an integrated energy market – currently a hot topic in Europe’s energy sector. Topics discussed included the current development of the natural gas infrastructure in Europe, the main reasons for investments in gas infrastructure, obstacles/stumbling blocks for developing of gas infrastructure as well as financing for infrastructure in the European gas market – all sensitive subjects that affect natural gas pipeline operators and interconnectors