28 June 2010: The seventh ministerial meeting of the Energy Dialogue between the EU and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was held in Brussels, Belgium, on 28 June 2010, to discuss recent energy policies and oil market developments in the EU and OPEC, and prepare the ground for future joint activities.

In his opening address, OPEC Secretary General Abdalla Salem El-Badri highlighted, among other things, the potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and the central role of technology in addressing environmental challenges.

According to the resulting Joint Conclusions, the EU and OPEC: reaffirm their commitment to sustainable development; note that fossil fuels will continue to meet most of the world’s energy needs, with oil playing the leading role; maintain a firm focus on meeting longer-term challenges; and emphasize the reciprocal nature of demand and supply for energy security. The next meeting of the EU-OPEC Energy Dialogue will take place in June 2011, in Vienna, Austria. [Joint Conclusions][EU Website on the EU-OPEC Energy Dialogue]