MADRID, 26 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -
The CEO of Cepsa, Maarten Wetselaar, has called for regulations and tax measures for the energy sector that "are aligned in design and intensity" in all the territories of Europe and that "do not suffocate" when undertaking the great transformation what companies are doing.
In his speech at a conference organized by the Spanish Committee of the World Energy Council (Cecme) and Enerclub, Wetselaar stated that we are "in a historic moment", with energy "at the center of all global changes and in the center of public debate", before which governments and companies "must go hand in hand, with high beams and jointly looking for truly productive scenarios".
Thus, the director stressed that governments must also contribute to accelerating the energy transition by offering administrations "a harmonized European approach through which permits are streamlined and greater regulatory flexibility is achieved for the development of infrastructures that make it possible to bet on the new alternatives".
"We need a favorable regulatory framework, because without adequate regulation, Spain and Europe can lose the boat against other regions or powers," he said, adding that the regulation and the economic context "must encourage and not hinder."
Likewise, he indicated that the current energy crisis must be seen as "a great opportunity to accelerate the energy transition" and "stay faithful" to the ambitions and commitments to continue progressing that transformation.
In this way, he warned that the current situation of high energy prices has led the EU to take rapid measures "completely necessary" in the short term to promote energy savings and guarantee of supply, although he stressed that "what is urgent should not be overshadow what is important: the great necessary transformation that lies ahead, and that was already a priority before the start of the war in Ukraine".
Wetselaar opted for accelerating investments in new technologies, prioritizing decarbonisation and guaranteeing European independence of supply. “While it is important that the industry continues to decarbonize its own operations, we must not use this crisis to become more reliant on hydrocarbons,” he added.
