Speeches 2004

Meeting challenges in a complex energy market

20/10/2004

Jeroen van der Veer, President of Royal Dutch and Chairman of the Committee of Managing Directors Royal Dutch/Shell Group

Jeroen van der Veer, President of Royal Dutch and Chairman of the Committee of Managing Directors Royal Dutch/Shell Group

Short term factors in the energy industry are high on the agenda at the moment but that makes it even more important that the industry and policy makers keep their focus on the long term. We are facing a more uncertain climate, not least in the UK as the role of the North Sea changes. However, Shell believes that there continue to be attractive opportunities in the North Sea, helped by technological development and increasing cross-border co-operation from governments. The UK will, nonetheless, need to import more of its energy in the future and a number of major projects are already under construction to secure those imports. It will be important for policy makers to ensure that the regulatory framework across Europe is supportive of these major longterm investments that will bring the diversity of supply that is the key to security of supply. We will be operating in a more complex and challenging world but the skills and the expertise of the energy industry.
will ensure that it successfully meets the challenges ahead.

Meeting challenges in a complex energy market (PDF, 184 KB) - opens in new window