INOGATE

The INOGATE program ( IN terstate) was established in 1995 as the EU mechanism for interstate transportation of oil and gas to Europe (hence the acronym in English). At first, this applied only to oil and gas pipelines from Eastern Europe and the Caucasus to the EU. In 2001, the Framework Agreement was signed between twenty-one countries in Kiev, with the aim of cooperation in the development and modernization of pipelines. After the conference in Baku, in Azerbaijan in 2004, and the conference in Astana, in Kazakhstan, this program was transformed into a broader partnership in the energy sector, and works in four main areas:

• Enhance energy security
• Convergence of energy markets based on EU internal energy market principles
• Sustainable energy development support
• Attracting investment in energy projects of general and regional interest.

Since 2007, the INOGATE program has been funded by the European Neighborhood and Partnership Initiative (ENPI).

Turkey is an INOGATE partner country, so it is always invited to participate in INOGATE meetings, but is not a beneficiary country. INOGATE is a special initiative of three European Commission directorates: the Directorate General for Transport and Energy, the Directorate General for External Relations and the EuropeAid Cooperation Office.

The “Baku Initiative” is the result of a political dialogue on energy cooperation between the EU and the INOGATE partner countries. This initiative was adopted on November 13, 2004 at the Ministerial Conference in Baku. The second Ministerial Conference was held in Astana on November 30, 2006, which confirmed the intentions of the INOGATE program to cover a wider range of energy issues in the partner countries and their joint actions on these issues with the EU.

One of the objectives of the “Baku Initiative” is to strengthen the integration of the energy markets of the member states with the EU, to create transparent energy markets capable of attracting investment and enhancing the security and reliability of energy supply. (Other aspects of the Initiative relate to transportation ). Partner countries agreed to harmonize the legislative and technical standards that contribute to the functioning of the integrated energy market in accordance with EU international and legal norms; to increase the security and reliability of energy supply by increasing and creating new infrastructure; replace the old energy generating infrastructure with a new one that is environmentally friendly for the environment; develop new infrastructures and introduce modern monitoring systems; improve energy supply and demand management through the integration of energy efficient systems; increase financing of commercial and environmentally viable energy projects of general interest. A “road map” aimed at achieving these goals was signed in Astana.

The coordinator for the implementation of the Baku Initiative is the INOGATE Technical Secretariat, located in Kiev. The Baku Initiative is carried out with the help of four working groups whose members are representatives of all partner countries:

• Harmonization of legal, regulatory and institutional standards for market liberalization;
• Enhancing energy security and reliability on transport networks:
• Sustainable energy development;
• Attracting investment and project support.

The INOGATE web portal lists a number of projects that are funded by ENPI and implemented by the INOGATE program. Since February 2009, these projects have been covering initiatives to improve the reliability and security of oil and gas transportation structures, developing coordinated energy policies in Central Asia, and supporting market integration and sustainable energy initiatives in partner countries.

The INOGATE program also prepared maps of oil and gas pipelines of the partner countries and their relationship with Western Europe.

INOGATE has a constantly updated list of conferences and publications. The web portal contains constantly updated information, news in the field of energy development in the partner countries, relevant EU initiatives and policies.

The INOGATE project is an EU-funded regional energy project aimed at supporting cooperation in the field of energy policies of the Partner Countries on issues related to the four activities of the INOGATE Program. Since the start of this Program in 1996, about 61 INOGATE projects have been implemented. Currently 3 INOGATE projects are ongoing:

• INOGATE Technical Secretariat and Integrated Program in support of the Baku Initiative and the Eastern Partnership energy objectives, project timeline: 02/2012 - 01/2015, total budget: 16.6 million euros;
• Energy Saving Initiative in the construction sector of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, project timeline: 01/2010 - 12/2013, total budget: 4.5 million euros;
• Sustainable Energy Program for Central Asia: renewable energy and energy efficiency, project timeline: 01/2013 - 12/2015, total budget: 4 million euros. In addition to these projects, there is another project related to the INOGATE Program (that is, not being an INOGATE project, it receives funding within the framework of INOGATE and contributes to the achievement of the same objectives), which the Program plans to take into account:

In addition, there is another project:

• Supporting the participation of cities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the “Covenant of Mayors” (a project related to INOGATE); Project timeline: 09/2011 - 09/2013, total budget: 2.15 million euros. Each and every one of these projects is responsible for providing a visual representation of their activities.

However, the INOGATE Technical Secretariat (ITS) Technical Secretariat promotes the dissemination of project results in the wider context of the INOGATE Program.

• European Union Energy Policy
• Energy Charter

• INOGATE website
• Energy Community