Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth Wopke Hoekstra on Tuesday, at the Maximos Mansion.

During the meeting, issues pertaining to the Commissioner’s portfolio were examined, with an emphasis on the EU’s climate commitments, alongside economic growth and supporting the competitiveness of European industry.

The prime minister stressed that Greece is on track to meet the EU’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and has a balanced energy mix, with increased penetration of renewables, while making special reference to the transitional use of natural gas.

Mitsotakis also highlighted the issue of energy market distortions, which lead to large differences in electricity prices between EU countries. He underlined that such distortions are not acceptable in a single market, reiterating the importance of interconnections between the member states and stressing the need for the green transition to go hand in hand with supporting the high competitiveness of the European economy.

Issues related to the European tax framework and its importance in terms of economic growth, strategic autonomy and internal convergence of the EU were also discussed.

On his part, Hoekstra praised the government and the country for the “truly impressive” work done in terms of the economy, as well as the link with clean growth and climate.

He underlined that what is or should be at the nexus of European policy, namely briding competitiveness with climate and energy independence, is what he sees happening in action in Greece. He underlined that Greece serves as an example for all the EU “and should inspire all of us in Europe as a way going forward”.