Join the LUCE awards ceremony to celebrate the vital role of women in the green transition and their leadership in building a sustainable, inclusive future.

Building on the strong foundation laid in previous years, the 4th edition of the LUCE Awards represents a renewed step forward in accelerating the Green Transition. As global attention intensifies around energy, climate, and sustainability challenges, this edition reaffirms once again the critical role women play in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future.

With our ongoing commitment to advancing gender equality in the energy, climate, and sustainability sectors — and with the valuable support of Edison — the 4th edition of the LUCE Awards celebrates the outstanding contributions of women driving innovation and progress in these fields. As we forge ahead on the path toward a greener tomorrow, this edition aspires to further amplify the voices and achievements of women who are pioneering solutions for a sustainable planet.

On 9 June 2026 in Florence, the LUCE Awards will honour the accomplishments of two outstanding women professionals, presenting one prize in each of the following categories:

Emerging Talent (applications open from 6 February to 11 March 2026)

Legacy Women (public vote open from 17 to 31 March 2026)

This year’s event will also include the announcement of the two winners of the 10th Ana Aguado Scholarship Award, a joint initiative by the European Distribution System Operators’ Association (E.DSO) and the Florence School of Regulation, supported by SolarPower Europe. This long-standing programme continues to empower young professionals through high-level training opportunities in the energy sector.

The LUCE Awards will be preceded by the 9th meeting of the Equality Platform for the Energy Sector, taking place on the morning of 9 June. Led by the European Commission, the meeting will gather representatives of the Directorate-General for Energy, Platform members, signatories, and project partners to discuss progress and collective action toward gender equality in the sector.  Participation in the Equality Platform meeting is limited to Platform members. Further information on the Platform and instructions on how to join are available on the Platform’s webpage.

YEEES is a long-standing seminar series offering PhD students in energy engineering and energy economics modelling the opportunity to present their work and receive feedback from peers and senior experts.

The Florence School of Regulation is pleased to host the 37th edition of the Young Energy Economists and Engineers Seminar (YEEES), a long-standing network and working paper seminar for PhD researchers in the fields of energy economics, engineering, and energy system modelling.

Founded in 2006 by Yannick Perez and Leonardo Meeus, YEEES brings together emerging scholars twice a year to present their work, receive constructive feedback, and build a community of young researchers across Europe and beyond. Previous editions have been organised in Leuven, Dresden, Vienna, Paris, Madrid, Florence, Cambridge, Dublin, Berlin, Stockholm, Basel, Edinburgh, Nuremberg, Lodz, Delft, Ghent, Copenhagen, and other academic hubs.

We invite PhD students working on topics related to engineering and economic modelling for energy systems to submit an abstract and register for consideration.

About the seminar

YEEES is designed as a working paper seminar that provides PhD students with in-depth feedback on their ongoing research. Each selected participant:

• presents their working paper (15–20 minutes),
• receives comments from two reviewers:
• one senior reviewer (a professor or post-doctoral researcher identified by the organisers),
• one junior reviewer (another participating PhD student),
• acts as a junior reviewer for another participant’s paper.

Review assignments are made by the organisers according to the reviewers’ fields of expertise. The aim is to create a constructive, rigorous, and friendly environment where young researchers can refine their work and expand their academic network.

Who should apply

The seminar is open to PhD students whose research focuses on:

• Energy economics
• Energy system modelling
• Engineering approaches to electricity and gas systems
• Market design and regulatory modelling
• Renewable integration modelling
• Power system flexibility and storage
• Techno-economic analysis and optimisation models
• Demand modelling, forecasting, and related areas

The selection process ensures that accepted abstracts align with the scientific scope of the seminar.

Submission and Selection Process

Participation in the seminar follows a two-stage submission process:

1. Abstract Submission & Registration

Deadline: 18 January 2026

PhD students submit an abstract and register through the online form. Abstracts are evaluated based on their relevance to the seminar’s themes.

2. Notification of Acceptance

23 January 2026

Selected candidates are invited to submit their full papers.

3. Full Paper Submission

Deadline: 29 March 2026

Full papers are required to assign junior and senior reviewers.

4. Reviewer Feedback Submission (Junior Reviewers)

Deadline: 13 April 2026

Each participant submits written feedback on the paper they have been assigned to review.

All selected participants will receive detailed guidance and deadlines by email following acceptance.

Join this debate as experts examine how EU pesticide Maximum Residue Limits shape food safety, environmental protection, and international agri‑food trade, focusing on regulatory divergence, competitiveness concerns, and the implications of the Commission’s planned impact assessment on hazardous pesticide residues in imports.

Effective food safety and plant health standards are central to protecting human health, the environment, and the sustainability of agri-food systems, while enabling international trade. Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pesticides in food are essential for consumer protection and are intended to facilitate trade between countries. However, the stringency of MRLs set in the EU is criticized by producers in third countries for increasing compliance burdens, leading to border rejections and restricting market access—particularly affecting exporters in developing and least-developed countries, including small and medium-sized enterprises. On the other hand, European stakeholders call for even stricter MRLs, in particular for active substances prohibited in the EU.

In the Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Commission announced that it will establish a principle that the most hazardous pesticides banned in the EU for health and environmental reasons are not allowed back to the EU through imported products . To advance on this, the Commission has launched in November 2025 a study to prepare an Impact Assessment that will consider the impacts on the EU’s competitive position and the international implications and, if appropriate, propose amendments to the applicable legal framework. The divergent regulation of pesticide residues in the EU and other major economies is becoming an increasingly important and contested dimension of global agri-food trade.

Programme 

Intro Speech: Fabio Santeramo (Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, EUI)

Moderator: Aliénor Cameron (OECD and Florence School of Regulation, EUI)

Speakers:

• Klaus Berend (DG SANTE)
• Niklas Möhring (Production Economics Group at the University of Bonn)
• Anirudh Shingal (S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research)

The 27th Florence Rail Forum brings together international experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to examine the evolving landscape of HSR financing.

The Forum, co-organised by the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation together with the UIC, will analyse financing models for High-Speed Rail, based on the Study prepared by FSR for the UIC, to be shared with the participants for comments during the forum, with the objective of drafting the final version.

This is a pivotal moment for the development of high-speed rail (HSR) networks at the European and international level. However, governments face increasing budgetary pressure, making the question of how to finance and deliver major rail projects more critical than ever. The European Commission’s Communication Connecting Europe through High-Speed Rail highlights HSR as a strategic driver of competitiveness, cohesion, job creation and climate action. Despite this potential, Europe is not progressing fast enough: high-speed traffic has grown only 17% since 2015, and major gaps remain, particularly in central and eastern Europe. Completing the TEN-T high-speed network by 2040 will require an estimated €345 billion. In 2026, the Commission aims to present the ‘High-Speed Rail Deal’ as a multilateral commitment to mobilise investment for Europe’s priority HSR projects. This initiative would provide long-term certainty to investors by clarifying EU and national commitments and paving the way for targeted regional dialogues to accelerate financing for strategic high-speed rail corridors. To meet these ambitions, HSR requires robust, sustainable, and innovative financing models. Drawing on global experience, it is possible to explore the strengths and limitations of public delivery models, the role of PublicPrivate Partnerships, and the emerging potential of Regulated Asset Base frameworks.

By providing a comparative, evidence-based view of financing tools and governance models, the event seeks to support informed decision-making and to contribute to a more sustainable, financially robust future for HSR worldwide.

The Forum will tackle the following questions:

• Improvements in Public Delivery (Rail funds, ETS, Corporate Finance): How can governments ensure predictable, long‑term funding cycles for HSR projects? What can be the role of transport/rail funds? What safeguards are needed to ensure ETS funds are devoted to high-speed rail? What role can corporate finance (e.g., green bonds) play in HSR?

• PPPs – Portugal, Czechia, and Tours–Bordeaux: In what scenarios is a PPP model preferable to traditional public procurement for HSR? How to derisk the projects? What are the defining features of the new HSRPPPs?

• RAB Models for High‑Speed Rail: What are the key advantages and challenges of applying a RAB model to HSR infrastructure? What lessons from other sectors are most relevant for rail RAB design? Is the institutional framework in rail ready to implement RAB?

Kindly note that this event is by invitation only.

At FSR, we actively work to achieve gender-balanced representation at all our events. As a platform that connects diverse voices and perspectives in the sector, we strongly value inclusive and gender-balanced panel debates and training courses.

Join us in Florence for 3 days of in-person events where we will convene our donors and renowned experts from across the sector. 

A detailed agenda with discussion topics and speakers will follow. In the meantime, here is a list of events that will take place during 8-10 June 2026: 

Monday, 8 June 2026

📌 Policy Advisory Council – Part 1 

The Policy Advisory Council discusses the most topical regulatory and policy issues and debates and the relevance and robustness of the latest FSR research findings. The meeting gathers experts from the European Commission, the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), the FSR Energy Star and Major Donors and invited renowned academics. 

Please note that this event is by invitation only.

Tuesday, 9 June 2026

📌 Policy Advisory Council – Part 2 

On the second day, participants continue the dialogue, focusing on key regulatory developments and recent research findings.

Please note that this event is by invitation only.

📌 9th meeting of the Equality Platform for the Energy Sector

The Platform is a European Commission-led initiative that currently includes more than 40 members from the energy sector, including the Florence School of Regulation.

Established in October 2021, the Platform provides a dedicated space to discuss equality-related issues, exchange experiences, and promote best practices in diversity and inclusion within the energy sector workplace.

The meeting is exclusive to Platform members. For further information and details on becoming a member, please visit the Platform’s webpage.

📌 LUCE Awards 2026 

The LUCE Awards, organised by the Lights on Women initiative with the support from Edison, celebrates the outstanding contributions of women advancing the Green Transition.

Now in its fourth edition, the LUCE Awards will honour the achievements of two women professionals, with a prize awarded in each of the following categories:

• Emerging Talent: recognising the contributions of up-and-coming female leaders.

• Legacy Women: honouring senior female professionals who have made a lasting impact on the Green Transition.

Watch the highlights from the first, second and third editions.

Learn more and register!

Wednesday, 10 June

📌 Regulatory Policy Workshop  

A full-day policy workshop directed by Alberto Pototschnig, FSR Executive Deputy Director. The workshop will consist of a series of seminars led by topic experts with opportunities for intervention from participants. 

Please note that this event is by invitation only.

This webinar examines how evolving EU plant health and phytosanitary regulations can balance safety, trade, and sustainability, with a focus on innovative post-harvest treatments and their implications for international market access.

Effective plant health measures are essential to protect agriculture, biodiversity, and global food security while enabling safe international trade. Yet many food, plant, and human health regulations—such as SPS measures—though crucial for safety, create compliance costs, cause border rejections in case of non-compliance, and subject market access to the respect of conditions.

Their stringency and limited harmonization place burdens on exporters in developing countries, especially smallholders, thereby challenging market access.

Against this backdrop, the regulatory framework for plant health and phytosanitary treatments is evolving rapidly. This webinar will examine upcoming EU developments, focusing on innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly post-harvest treatments—such as heat, cold, irradiation, and controlled atmosphere—to prevent the spread of regulated pests. Experts from DG AGRI and DG SANTE, academics and businesses will discuss future standards, compliance requirements, scientifically based protocols, and engagement with regulatory authorities and industry. The session provides a platform to explore how policy and regulation can balance safety, trade, and sustainability.

Watch the recording:

Programme:

• Intro Speech: Fabio Santeramo (Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, EUI)

Speakers:

• Wolfgang Reinert (DG SANTE, European Commission)
• Dany Bylemans  (Pcfruit, KU Leuven)
• Emilia Lamonaca (University of Foggia)

Q&A Session:

• Darija Lemic (University of Zagreb, GREENER)

Geothermal energy is increasingly recognised as a strategic pillar of Europe’s clean energy transition, particularly for district heating, industrial heat, and firm renewable power. Yet its deployment has long been constrained by fragmented geological data, high upfront risks, and regulatory complexity.

This online debate centres on the launch of GeoMap Europe, a new continent-wide geothermal mapping platform developed by Project InnerSpace, which integrates millions of subsurface data points into an open, accessible visualisation of Europe’s geothermal resources.

The discussion will examine how GeoMap Europe can help overcome information and risk barriers, support the implementation of EU climate and energy legislation, and accelerate geothermal deployment in line with the European Green Deal and revised Renewable Energy Directive. Speakers will reflect on policy, regulatory, and market implications, including permitting acceleration, heat planning, and the role of geothermal in strengthening Europe’s energy independence.

The session will be of particular interest to policymakers, regulators, researchers, energy system planners, and stakeholders involved in heat decarbonisation and renewable energy deployment.

Programme

14:30 – Welcome and introduction

Andris Piebalgs, FSR

14:35 – Geothermal energy in the EU policy framework

Marianna Jakab, European Commission 

14:50 – GeoMap Europe: data, methodology and policy relevance

Drew Nelson, Project InnerSpace

15:10 – Panel discussion: Regulatory and planning implications

Session focus: Data availability and permitting acceleration, Geothermal and national heat planning, Investment risk, public policy, and system integration

Annamária Nádar, Chair of EU Geo-energy Expert Group

David Bruhn, Fraunhofer IEG

Sanjeev Kumar, European Geothermal Energy Council

15:45 – Audience Q&A

15:55 – Conclusions and closing

During the 16th Florence Intermodal Forum, co-organised by the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation together with the EC’s DG MOVE, experts will explore the best practices, identify persistent bottlenecks, and discuss the governance frameworks needed to establish efficient multimodal hubs.

European cities face urgent challenges in decarbonization, congestion, road safety, and managing growing passenger and tourist traffic. Stakeholders must now rethink how people move across and within cities. Over the last few years, Europe has accelerated the rollout of new High-Speed Rail (HSR) corridors, thanks to the 2024 amendment to the TEN-T regulation. However, the challenge is not restricted to building faster lines, but it extends to ensuring that urban multimodal hubs become seamless gateways between long-distance rail and urban mobility. For these reasons, the integration of urban multimodal hubs with the ever-expanding HSR network is pivotal to support the EU’s transport policy agenda.

The recently published High-Speed Rail Action Plan aims to reduce journey times, eliminate cross-border bottlenecks, harmonise standards, and enhance cross-border ticketing systems to promote competition and interoperability in the HSR market. However, there is a need to integrate HSR with urban mobility planning, as urban space constraints, fragmented planning processes, and technical interoperability issues limit the efficiency of all services. Effective urban planning is crucial as it integrates land use, mobility, and accessibility into a cohesive strategy. It ensures that transport infrastructure supports sustainable growth, reduces congestion, and enhances connectivity between neighbourhoods and economic hubs. In the context of HSR, urban planning determines how stations are embedded within cities, influencing patterns of development. Service connectivity and the evolving needs of passengers who are now increasingly using HSR services instead of short-haul flights. This requires reliable and properly integrated last-mile services. However, governance is the critical enabler for seamless mobility as it coordinates the interests and responsibilities of HSR infrastructure managers, train operators, and urban public transport authorities.

Therefore, the 16th Florence Intermodal Forum will explore the best practices, identify persistent bottlenecks, and discuss the governance frameworks needed to establish efficient multimodal hubs. The Forum, co-organised by the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation together with the EC’s DG MOVE, will tackle the following questions:

• Integrating High-Speed Rail with Urban Multimodal Hubs: What are the main challenges (e.g., urban space constraints, disparities between urban and rail planning, etc)? What are best practices? What are the key elements of the ideal hub to ensure a seamless flow of travellers?
• Services connectivity: The door-to-door travel offer using EU high-speed rail as the backbone should serve all passenger segments from business to sustainable tourism. What are their needs in terms of last-mile mobility service in cities? What type of investments are necessary?
• Governance – Integration of High-Speed Rail stakeholders with urban mobility stakeholders in order to provide a seamless experience to travellers: Which instruments are currently available or should be developed in order to better coordinate high-speed rail and urban mobility connectivity? Is there a role for multimodal (railway) hub managers? Is there a role for SUMPs to play? What roles for Urban Public Transport Authorities/operators, high-speed rail infrastructure managers and services providers, TEN-T coordinators, others?

Kindly note that the event is by invitation only.

This webinar examined how the European Affordable Housing Plan addresses Europe’s housing crisis as a strategic challenge for competitiveness and social cohesion.

Europe’s housing crisis is no longer only a social challenge; it has become a critical competitiveness issue. Soaring house prices, rising rents, and a persistent shortage of affordable homes are constraining labour mobility, deepening inequalities, and placing increasing pressure on Europe’s economic growth model.

This webinar explores the European Affordable Housing Plan, the EU’s first comprehensive framework designed to address the structural causes of the housing crisis. The discussion will examine how the Plan seeks to increase housing supply, mobilise public and private investment, simplify regulatory frameworks, and strengthen support for cities, regions, and Member States; while reinforcing social cohesion and Europe’s long-term economic resilience.

The webinar will also connect the priorities of the Plan with the cities of tomorrow, highlighting how affordable housing policy intersects with the reimagining of urban infrastructure, sustainability, and inclusive growth.

Participants will gain practical insights into the Plan’s four pillars, boosting housing supply, mobilising investment, enabling reforms, and supporting the most affected groups, alongside an overview of recent changes to EU funding instruments and State aid rules. The discussion will focus on what these measures mean in practice for policymakers, housing providers, cities, and investors across Europe.

The European Affordable Housing Plan was adopted by the European Commission in December last year. Its preparation was led by the Task Force on Housing within the Commission, under the leadership of Matthew Baldwin, Deputy Director-General at DG Energy. He will deliver the keynote address at the webinar, offering first-hand insights into the Plan’s objectives and implementation.

Programme

Discussant: Mārtiņš Staķis (European Parliament, former Mayor of Riga)

Panel discussion: Housing Plan and Cities of tomorrow

• Gwen Colin (Vauban Infrastructure Partners)
• Thomas Bourleaud (Altermind)

Moderator: Max Münchmeyer (Florence School of Regualtion, EUI)

Join this workshop where experts discuss the Commission’s proposals with regards to enhancing European energy infrastructure planning, speeding up European energy infrastructure projects implementation and the European Energy Highways.

Energy networks play an essential role in promoting competition, decarbonisation of energy demand, and security of supply. While the current regulatory framework has successfully supported market integration across the EU, energy networks must now rapidly adapt to a more decentralised, digitalised, and flexible energy system in a fast‑evolving geopolitical context.

On 10 December 2025, the European Commission proposed a European Grids Package and an Energy Highways Initiative to enable energy to flow more efficiently across Member States, integrate cheaper clean energy, accelerate electrification, lower energy prices, and support energy security as Europe moves away from Russian energy imports. The proposals aim to bring a truly European perspective to infrastructure planning, accelerate permitting procedures, and ensure a fairer allocation of costs for cross‑border projects.

The European Grids Package introduces a more centralised approach to infrastructure planning, strengthens EU‑wide cross‑border planning, improves coordination between transmission and distribution grids, incentivises smart and digital grid solutions, and embeds the “energy efficiency first” principle. It comprises two legislative proposals (amending the TEN‑E framework and accelerating permit‑granting procedures) and two guidance notes on grid connections and contracts for difference.

To accelerate implementation, the Package proposes simplified EU‑level permitting frameworks, enhanced support for PCI/PMI projects, improved cost‑benefit transparency, strengthened infrastructure security and resilience (including cyber security), and expanded financing options, including use of congestion income and eligibility for CEF funding.

In parallel, the Energy Highways Initiative identifies eight priority Energy Highways addressing urgent infrastructure bottlenecks, many of which already hold PCI or PMI status under the second Union list published on 1 December 2025. The Commission has committed to fast‑tracking these projects through enhanced political coordination, support to Member States, and strengthened cross‑border permitting cooperation.

Against this background, the Workshop will provide an opportunity to discuss the proposals contained in the European Grids Package and the Energy Highways Initiative.

Kindly note that this event is by invitation only. Reserved to FSR donors.

This webinar explored how lessons from past and forthcoming policy evaluations can enhance the effectiveness, coherence, and impact of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Watch the recording:

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) remains the cornerstone of the EU’s strategy for sustainable agriculture and rural development. Under the new programming framework (2023–2027), Member States are implementing their CAP Strategic Plans through a performance-based model that aligns national actions with the EU’s economic, social, and environmental objectives. The updated CAP performance evaluation framework places greater emphasis on quantitative, impact-oriented assessments. Member States will now carry out interim evaluations within three years of implementation and final evaluations within two years after the programming period. Although ex-ante evaluations have been discontinued, countries are still required to demonstrate how their interventions address identified needs.

This event brings together experts to discuss the practical, analytical, and policy dimensions of evaluating the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). It will offer a platform to explore how lessons from past policy cycles can inform the implementation of the new CAP for 2023–2027, particularly regarding Member States’ performance in delivering their CAP Strategic Plans. The webinar will address progress toward economic, social, and environmental objectives, as well as early evidence emerging from annual performance reports. Participants will also reflect on the implications of past performance reviews for enhancing policy coherence, delivery, and overall effectiveness. The event will open with a keynote address from the European Commission’s DG AGRI, Unit on Policy Performance, followed by a debate among experts from academia, research institutions, business associations, and national regulators. It will be an online event featuring presentations and an interactive Q&A session. The webinar is aimed at scholars, professionals, and policymakers working in the fields of agriculture, rural development, sustainability, and EU policy evaluation, with a strong interest in evidence-based policymaking and the future of the CAP.

Programme

• Moderator: Rose O’Donovan (AGRA FACTS)
• Intro Speech: Fabio Santeramo (EUI)

Speakers:

• Sophie Helaine (DG AGRI)
• Giampiero Genovese (JRC)
• Sophie Thoyer (INRAE)
• Bérénice Dupeux (Ecorys)
• Blanca Casares Guillén (AEIDL)

Q&A session:

• Emil Erjavec (University of Ljubljana)
• Aneta Suchon (University of Adam Mickiewicz)

Join this online debate to identify remaining gaps, improve usability, and support informed evaluation of carbon pricing as a policy tool.

As carbon pricing grows in importance for EU climate policy, attention is turning to the data that underpins analysis and evaluation of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). While substantial datasets exist, challenges remain in ensuring transparency, compatibility, and accessibility across sources. These limitations hinder both rigorous research and broader stakeholder understanding of the system’s functioning and efficiency.

This online debate will explore the current state of EU ETS data availability and the progress made in merging and enhancing datasets related to carbon pricing in Europe. The discussion will highlight advances in data integration, interpretation, and visualisation. By bringing together researchers and practitioners, the session aims to identify remaining gaps, improve usability, and support informed evaluation of carbon pricing as a policy tool.

Programme

14:00-14:10 Introduction, context & insights

Simone Borghesi & Marie Raude (EUI)

14:10-14:45 Panel debate

Jan Abrell (University of Basel)

Aliènor Cameron (OECD, EUI)

Liza Leimane (EEA)

Meili Vanegas Hernadez (Sandbag)

14:45-15:00 Q&A with the audience and wrap-up