This webinar will explore how AI-driven solutions can optimise energy distribution, improve grid resilience, and support the EU’s decarbonisation and sustainability goals.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is a game-changing technology with the potential to significantly advance Europe’s energy transition. As the EU seeks to enhance energy efficiency, reduce costs, and accelerate the shift to sustainable power, AI-driven solutions could revolutionise how energy is produced, consumed, and distributed.

The Competitiveness Compass for the EU underscores the importance of AI leadership, stating that ‘Integrating AI into strategic sectors where Europe has traditionally been strong will be critical to maintaining their competitive edge.’ The Apply AI Strategy, currently under development, aims to drive new industrial applications of AI, including in the energy sector, ensuring Europe remains at the forefront of innovation.

From AI-powered smart grids that optimise energy distribution to predictive maintenance that prevents equipment failures, AI is already transforming energy management. Machine learning algorithms enhance grid resilience, improve the reliability of renewable energy, and provide real-time recommendations for efficient energy use. AI also plays a key role in energy market forecasting and trading, ultimately supporting the EU’s decarbonisation and sustainability goals.

However, AI adoption in the energy sector is not without challenges. High initial investment costs, the need for a skilled workforce, and increasing cybersecurity risks remain barriers to large-scale implementation. As the International Energy Agency (IEA) notes, while AI innovation is advancing rapidly, its full impact and adoption remain uncertain.

To fully unlock AI’s potential, collaboration between energy providers, policymakers, and AI developers is essential. A shared understanding of the most promising applications and key enablers will be critical to bridging gaps and accelerating AI-driven transformation.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into how AI can help achieve the EU’s energy goals.

Introduction – Ivars Ijabs, MEP

Case Studies – Real-world applications of AI in energy
Luis Cunha, E-REDES
Carla Silva Gonçalves, INESC TEC

Panel Discussion
Vincent Berrutto, DG ENER, EC
Jesse Scott, Hertie School
François Beaude, ACER
Jorge Vasconcellos, FSR

During this event, Professors Leigh Hancher and Kaisa Huhta, senior legal experts from FSR, will provide an in-depth analysis of recent notable energy-related cases and pending case law at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

The FSR Law Area will present a comprehensive review of the most significant energy cases brought before the Court of Justice of the European Union in recent months. Professors Leigh Hancher (FSR and Universities of Tilburg and Bergen) and Kaisa Huhta (FSR and University of Eastern Finland) will offer an expert analysis of the latest developments in case law. The discussion will also include an overview of key pending cases.

Following the presentation, an interactive Q&A session will allow attendees to engage directly with the experts and deepen their understanding of the topics discussed.

The cases that will be discussed include:

T-485/21 – BNetzA v ACER [T-482/21; T-446/21; T-476/21; T-472/21; T-482/21; T-483/21; T-484/21]

T-526/19 – RENV – Nord Stream 2 v Parliament and Council (appeal: C-118/25 P)

C-205/23 – Engie Romania

C-794/21 P – Germany v Infineon Technologies Dresden and Others [C-790/21 P; C-792/21 P]

C-701/21 P – Mytilinaios v DEI and Commission

C-255/22 P – Orlen v Commission

C-59/23 P – Austria v Commission (Centrale nucléaire Paks II) [Opinion of AG Medina]

C-48/23 – Alajärven Sähkö and Others

The discussion will also cover an overview of the most important pending cases.

Regulating CO2 transportation infrastructure: Exploring European approaches and future policy directions

On 30 January 2025, the European Commission announced the allocation of almost €250 million from its Connecting Europe Facility to support the construction of three projects and fund nine preparatory studies for CCS infrastructures. This financial support follows the Net Zero Industry Act (June 2024), which set a capture capacity target of 50 MtCO₂ per year by 2030. However, in contrast to these developments, NGOs have sent a letter to Commission President Von der Leyen calling for the urgent development of an EU Action Plan for CCS—specifically calling for the regulation of CO₂ transportation infrastructures. In light of this context, the debate will focus on regulating CCS transportation.

Recent European developments demonstrate a growing interest in CCS. In 2024, the Net Zero Industry Act established a storage target of 50 MtCO₂ per year by 2030 and imposed an obligation on oil and gas companies to contribute to this goal. To meet these targets, the EU has expanded several funding mechanisms, including the Connect Europe Facility (CEF) fund, the Innovation Fund, and Horizon Europe. Similarly, the European Commission has published Revised Guidance on the 2009 CCS Directive (2009/31/EC) for CO₂ storage.

However, little attention has been paid to regulating transportation infrastructure. The 2009 CCS Directive briefly addresses CO₂ transportation regulation, and the Revised Guidance offers no further clarification. Interestingly, the 2023 DG Ener report “EU Regulation for the Development of the Market for CO₂ Transport and Storage” explores various regulatory options for CO₂ transportation infrastructure but does not recommend a preferred model. At the national level, significant regulatory disparities exist, with countries such as Norway and the United Kingdom taking major regularory initiatives.

Against this background, Adrien Nicolle from FSR will present insights from his co-authored paper, which introduces an analytic model for CO₂ pipeline transportation. Following his presentation, the debate will offer different visions for regulating transportation infrastructure, drawing on expert opinions from the panel. The session, moderated by Marzia Sesini and Nicolò Rossetto from FSR, will invite audience participation for an engaging and thought-provoking dialogue.

In her Political Guidelines in July 2024 [1], Ursula von der Leyen committed to a Clean Industrial Deal to ensure a competitive EU industry and quality jobs as one of the new Commission’s objectives within its first 100 days. The Deal will focus “on supporting and creating the right conditions for companies to reach our common goals. This means simplifying, investing and ensuring access to cheap, sustainable and secure energy supplies and raw materials”.

The Clean Industrial Deal is expected to be tabled on 26 February 2025. Key areas anticipated in the Deal include a new industrial policy, simplification of administrative procedures, a revision of State aid rules, and measures to lower energy costs and improve the functioning of energy markets.

This workshop, taking place shortly after the Deal is introduced, will examine its proposed measures and assess how they address the challenges faced by EU industry, ensuring competitiveness and decarbonisation. Discussions will also consider the broader geopolitical landscape, particularly the potential withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement and China’s strategic investments in Green Deal markets.

The event is by invitation only.

A plan for EU competitiveness and decarbonisation

Learn more about the Clean Industrial Deal

[1] Available at: https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf

Building on the momentum of the previous editions, the 3rd edition of the LUCE Awards marks another milestone in advancing the Green Transition. In a world increasingly focused on achieving ambitious energy, climate, and sustainability goals, this edition reaffirms the critical role women play in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future.

With a continued commitment to promoting gender equality in the sectors of energy, climate, and sustainability—and proudly supported by Edison and Eurogas—the 3rd 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 elevate the voices and achievements of women who are pioneering solutions for a sustainable planet.

On 15 May 2025 in Florence, the LUCE Awards will celebrate the accomplishments of two women professionals, presenting a prize in each of the following categories:

Emerging Talent (applications are closed for the 2025 edition)

Legacy Women (public vote is closed for the 2025 edition)

The event will feature a keynote speech by Tom Howes, an expert panel titled “Just” energy transition, does gender matter?, and the awarding ceremony.

The LUCE Awards will be preceded by the 7th meeting of the Equality Platform for the Energy Sector, taking place in the morning of 15 May. Led by the European Commission, the meeting will bring together all actors involved in the Equality Platform activities – Directorate-General for Energy representatives, Platform members, signatories and project partners.

Participation in the meeting is limited to Platform members. For more information or details on joining, please visit the Platform’s webpage.

This debate will discuss the findings of the JRC Report on methane emissions coming from the biogas and biomethane supply chains. Starting from the data presented, the panel debate will expand to the wider role that biogas and biomethane will have in the upcoming decade and assess their contribution to reaching the EU decarbonisation targets. 

Read the JRC Report titled “Methane emissions in the biogas and biomethane supply chains in the EU” here.

The scaling up of renewable gases, such as biogas and biomethane, is a critical and effective component of the EU’s long-term decarbonisation strategy. The gradual replacement of fossil-based energy with cleaner energy sources – either to produce renewable electricity or used in the form of ‘clean molecules’ – is at the core of the EU Green Deal, as outlined in the EU System Integration Strategy (2020).

More specifically, the REPowerEU Plan of 18 May 2022 set the target to 35 bcm of biogas/biomethane by 2030, with the double aim of reducing the EU’s dependency on natural gas imports while, at the same time, improving the overall European GHG footprint, by replacing molecules of fossil origin with molecules of biological origin.

According to the European Biogas Association (EBA), in 2023, biomethane production alone reached 4.9 bcm, the highest level ever, with the greatest year-on-year increase concentrated in the EU area (21%). Combined biogas and biomethane production in 2023 amounted to 22 bcm, which represented 7% of the natural gas consumption of the European Union.

On the other hand, the biogas and biomethane supply chains are not zero-GHG emissions supply chains and particular attention has been paid by several observers to the emissions of methane.

The doubling of methane emissions concentration levels in the last 200 years has been blamed on anthropogenic activities, particularly in the fossil fuels, agriculture and waste management sectors. Coal mining and gas generation and transport are among the main causes of this detrimental impact on the atmosphere.

Moreover, about 54% of man-made methane emissions come from the agriculture sector and particularly from enteric fermentation (81%) and manure.

A recently published report from the Joint Research Centre (JRC) carries out a review of all methane emissions from biogas and biomethane production to provide an updated, comprehensive methodology for emissions accounting for biogas and biomethane production, including methane losses.

Draft Programme

Introduction to the Debate and Opening Presentations

14.00 – 14.05    Introduction to the Debate

Ilaria Conti | Florence School of Regulation

14.05 – 14.20    Presentation of the Report

Marco Buffi | Scientific Project Officer, Unit C2, Joint Research Centre

14.20 – 14.30    The regulatory perspective

Benoît Esnault | Vice-chair of the Gas Working Group, CEER

Panel Discussion: Introductory Remarks and Discussion

Moderator: Alberto Pototschnig | Florence School of Regulation

14.30 – 14.50    Introductory remarks from the panellists
Maria Olczak | Research Fellow, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
Harmen Dekker | CEO, European Biogas Association
James France | Scientific Adviser, IMEO

14.50 – 15.20    Discussion and Q&A from the audience
Panellists

15.20 – 15.30    Concluding remarks
Ilaria Conti | Florence School of Regulation
Alberto Pototschnig | Florence School of Regulation

This workshop is organised in the context of the LIFE COASE project which aims to provide knowledge for improved emissions trading.  The workshop will take stock of existing indicators to monitor the EU carbon market, relying on regulatory financial data and EU ETS transaction data. It will also offer a space for discussing the limitations and suggesting improvements to the existing indicators used to track market activity.  

Participation in the event is by invitation only. 

Programme 

10:00-10:05 Welcome and introduction 

10:05-12:15 Presentations 

• Julien Mazzacurati (ESMA) 
• Simon Quemin (EDF, PIK, CEC) 
• Estelle Cantillon (Université Libre de Bruxelles) 

11:35-11:45 Break 

11:45-12:15 Presentation

• Marie Raude (FSR/EUI, CEC, Université Paris Nanterre) 

12:15-12:55 Open discussion 

12:55-13:00 Conclusions and wrap up 

Introduction

The 2^nd Florence Aviation Regulation Conference aims to discuss the current and future economic and regulatory policies relating to air transport. The conference brings together academics, selected industry representatives, and policymakers. The scope of the conference will be to find practical solutions through rigorous academic dialogue and constructive debate. This conference is part of Transport Week, which includes two academic conferences focusing on Aviation and Rail regulation, and a Summer School on Transport Regulation. Here, representatives from the European Commission, practitioners, and academics can discuss priorities for the next commission.

The Conference organisers are looking for original papers on topics that range from regulatory challenges, to sustainable aviation, to green financing and innovation in the aviation sector (ranging from alternative fuels to drones). Contributions that employ multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to regulation and that combine academia and practice are highly encouraged. The conference is intended for academics, academically minded practitioners and PhD researchers. The best papers will be eligible for publication in a book on Transport Regulation in Europe, to be published by a leading publisher biennially.

 Conference Structure

The format of the Florence Conference on the Regulation of Aviation will be the following:

• Keynote Speech (40´aprox.)
• Presentation of Academic Papers (20´/Paper aprox.)
• Feedback and Debate around the Papers (20´/Paper aprox.)

This is a 1-day conference, aiming to discuss 10/12 papers and engage a selected group of 30/40 individuals, including leading academics, high-level stakeholder representatives, and public officials, into a fruitful policy debate.

Papers to be presented at the conference:

1. Existing framework limits optimal environmental pricing through airport charges, Ernst-Jan Heuten
2. Adaptive Airline Strategies under the Evolving EU ETS: A Path toward Sustainable Aviation, Fabio Simoni da Silva
3. Regulation of Non-CO2 Effects in Aviation: Addressing Regulatory Gaps between Civil and State Aircraft in International Airspace, Martin Hock, Felix Schmermer, Soeren C. Schwuchow, Anita Demuth, Harry Lehmann
4. The interdependence of aeronautical and commercial activities, Antonio Forcina, Michele Granatstein, Jamie Inglis, Leonardo Mautino
5. Interaction of Certification and Standards for e-SAF production, Maryna Hritsyshyna
6. Optimal Subsidy Design in Market Settings with Intertemporal Price Discrimination, Miguel Blanco Cocho
7. Multimodal interoperability: Can high-speed trains become tomorrow’s feeder flights of major airport hubs?, Giacomo Potenza, Eva Valeri
8. Regulatory Interactions between CORSIA and the EU ETS ‘Full Scope’ in Mitigating Aviation Emissions, Garry Gumelar Pratama
9. Towards the Implementation of the AI Act in Aviation: Challenges and Strategies, Elisa Spiller, Marco Sanchi, Federico Galli, Paola Lanzi, Giuseppe Contissa
10. Ensuring Social Sustainability in Europe While Transitioning to a Net-Zero Aviation Industry, Andrea Trimarchi

Timeline

• Submission of the Abstract by 7 February 2025 using the form. For any issue regarding the submission, please contact Ms Elodie Petrozziello at fsr.transport@eui.eu
• Notification of Acceptance by 21^st of February 2025;
• Submission of the Full Paper by 16^th of June 2025; participants who fail to submit a full paper by this deadline will be automatically removed from the programme;
• Conference on 11 July2025 in Florence (Italy).

Guidelines for the abstract

• 400-600 words (abstract);
• Title of the paper & keywords;
• Name of the author(s) and full address of the corresponding author;
• The aim and methodology of the paper; and
• Results obtained or expected

Organising committee

Juan Montero | Director of the Transport Area of the FSR, Professor of Administrative Law and Regulation at UNED University (Madrid)

Steven Truxal | Scientific Advisor FSR Transport, and Full Professor of Air and Space Law, and Director of Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University

Matthias Finger | Part-time professor and Deputy Director of the Transport Area of the FSR. EPFL, Professor Emeritus

Elodie Petrozziello | Research Associate of the Transport Area of the FSR

The Conference is co-organised by the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation of the European University Institute and the International Institute of Air and Space Law of Leiden University.

Please note that attendance at the conference is by invitation only.

The 4^th Florence Rail Regulation Conference aims to discuss advancements for accelerating the growth of the railways in the EU. This conference is a space where academics, selected industry representatives, and policymakers can debate freely on fresh approaches to rail regulation. The scope of the conference will be to find practical solutions through rigorous academic dialogue and constructive debate. This conference is part of Transport Week, which includes two academic conferences focusing on Rail and Aviation regulation and a Summer School on Transport Regulation. Here, representatives from the European Commission, practitioners, and academics can discuss priorities for the next commission.

The Conference organizers are looking for original papers on topics that range from regulatory challenges to sustainable railways. Contributions that employ multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to regulation and that combine academia and practice are highly encouraged. The conference is intended for academics, academically minded practitioners and PhD researchers. The best papers will be eligible for publication in a book on Transport Regulation in Europe, to be published by a leading publisher biennially.

The Conference is organized by the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation of the European University Institute and will take place in Florence (Italy).

 Conference Structure

The format of the Florence Conference on the Regulation of Railways will be the following:

• Presentation of Academic Papers (20´/Paper aprox.)
• Feedback and Debate around the Papers (20´/Paper aprox.)

This is a 1-day conference, aiming to discuss 10/12 papers and engage a selected group of 30/40 individuals, including leading academics, high-level stakeholder representatives, and public officials, into a fruitful policy debate.

Papers to be presented at the conference:

1. Rolling Stock Management and Railway Efficiency: Evidence from a Line-Level Analysis of Regional Rail Services in France, Nicolas Fabre, Florent Laroche, Louafi Bouzouina
2. Developing models for Africa’s freight railway system regulation, Bernard Aritua, Jan H. Havenga, Andrea Giuricin, Zane P. Simpson, Stefaan Swarts, Henk Neethling
3. Night trains in Europe – sustainable alternative or niche market?, Zdeněk Tomeš, Vilém Pařil
4. Railway performance: lessons from efficiency analyses, Torben Holvad, Eva Valeri
5. Including the evaluation of social impacts in the appraisal of transportation investments, Mario, Tartaglia, Ilaria, Lopresti, Martina, Farsi
6. Open for Access? A comparative assessment of frameworks used to evaluate open access passenger rail services, Wiktor Woszczek, Enrico Russo
7. Regulating the fair access to rolling stock: current situation in the Single European Railway Area (SERA), Guillem Ochoa i Pérez, Iñigo Aguas Ardaiz
8. Determinants of rail price variability in Europe under competition, Beria Paolo, Battilocchi Tommaso, Mattioli Lorenzo, Fitzová Hana, Pařil Vilém
9. Two roads diverged -Two alternate strategies for protecting captive freight shippers in the “Americas” model of freight rail restructuring, Russell Pittman
10. Regulating Small Underloaded Rail Networks—Challenges and Policy Priorities, Justina Hudenko
11. Cooperation, competition, coopetition in cross-border rail services: which model will prevail?, Laurent Guihéry, Lorenzo Freire–Stella

Timeline

• Submission of the Abstract by 7 February 2025 using the form. Please send the completed form to Ms Elodie Petrozziello at fsr.transport@eui.eu
• Notification of Acceptance by 21^st of February 2025;
• Submission of the Full Paper by 16^th of June 2025; participants who fail to submit a full paper by this deadline will be automatically removed from the programme;
• Conference on  7 July 2025 in Florence (Italy).

Guidelines for the abstract

• 400-600 words (abstract);
• Title of the paper & keywords;
• Name of the author(s) and full address of the corresponding author;
• The aim and methodology of the paper; and
• Results obtained or expected

Organising committee

Juan Montero | Director of the Transport Area of the FSR, Professor of Administrative Law and Regulation in UNED University (Madrid)

Matthias Finger | Part-time professor and Deputy Director of the Transport Area of the FSR. EPFL, Professor Emeritus

Elodie Petrozziello | Research Associate of the Transport Area of the FSR

Please note that attendance at the conference is by invitation only.

Join this online debate to examine the evolving role of nuclear energy in the EU, including its potential for achieving decarbonisation goals, the development of Small Modular Reactors, and the European Commission’s shifting stance on nuclear as a key contributor to a sustainable energy future.

Achieving a 90% GHG reduction by 2040 will require the (quasi) complete decarbonisation of the electricity system. Since electricity falls within the ETS, the economic signals to drive this transformation are expected to be in place. Nuclear energy is increasingly recognised as a key and growing contributor to this goal in an increasing number of Member States.

In recent statements, the Commission is gradually becoming more positive and proactive: first, on the value of nuclear for achieving decarbonisation goals (with the traditional caveat of ‘for those Member States that choose this path’); secondly, on the importance of the EU being a technology leader; and finally, on the enormous potential of Small Nuclear Reactors.

Against this backdrop, the next Commission will need to determine how to support these developments effectively. This webinar looks to review developments in the nuclear sector and ask – What’s next for the EU?

• How are the new investments being financed and what is coming down the road?
• How advanced is SMR development, and when can we expect the first investments? Should the EU’s safety and security evolve to reflect the unique challenges of SMRs?
• Should EU financing instruments be made available for nuclear investments?
• What other actions will be necessary for the next Commission to support nuclear energy?
• How will the EU’s approach to State aid for nuclear evolve, considering the CfD requirement in the NZIA?
• EU technology leadership in nuclear is an important goal – what needs to be done?

Keynote address:

Jan Panek | DG ENER

Panel debate:

Brian Scott-Quinn | ICMA-Center

Aymen Grira | Westinghouse

Antoine Bizet | EDF

Moderators:

Christopher Jones | FSR
Andris Piebalgs | FSR

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 14-16 May 2025: 

Wednesday, 14 May 

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. 

Thursday, 15 May 

Policy Advisory Council – Part 2 

7th meeting of the Equality Platform for the Energy Sector 

The Platform is a European Commission-led initiative that currently includes 38 members from the energy sector, including the Florence School of Regulation. 

Established in October 2021, the platform serves as a dedicated forum for addressing equality-related matters, fostering the exchange of experiences, and championing best practices concerning diversity and inclusion in the energy sector workplace. 

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

LUCE Awards 2025 

The LUCE Awards, organised by the Lights on Women initiative with the support of Landwärme, Edison, and Eurogas, aims to recognise the significant contributions of women in driving the Green Transition. 

Now in its third edition, LUCE Awards will celebrate the accomplishments of two women professionals, presenting a prize in each of the following categories: 

• Emerging Talent. The Emerging Talent category aims to recognise contributions of up-and-coming female leaders. 

• Legacy Women. The Legacy Women category will honour senior female professionals working to further the Green Transition worldwide. 

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Watch the highlights from the first and second editions.  

Friday, 16 May 

Regulatory Policy Workshop  

A full-day policy workshop directed by Alberto Pototschnig, FSR Executive Deputy Director, titled “Smartening the Energy Grids and Cybersecurity”. The workshop will consist of a series of seminars led by topic experts with opportunities for intervention from participants. 

Learn more