The European Union’s INOGATE Programme

The INOGATE programme is an international energy cooperation programme between the European Union, the littoral states of the Black and Caspian Seas and their neighbouring countries.
Projects implemented under the INOGATE Programme are funded by the European Commission and their executors are also determined by the EC on the basis of a relevant tender without national participation. The INOGATE programme began in 1995 and initially covered only the oil and gas sector. Subsequently, the cooperation of the partner countries led to opportunities and desires to expand the powers of the programme.
The 'Baku Initiative', adopted at the Ministerial Conference of INOGATE Partner Countries in Azerbaijan in 2004, played an important role in this process. At the meeting, the participating countries agreed on their common interest in supporting the development of local energy markets in their regions, providing sustainable and secure transportation of energy carriers, enhancing the attraction of funding for new infrastructures, embarking on energy efficiency policies and programmes and making progress towards a gradual integration between the respective energy markets and the EU market. 
Another important step in the development of the INOGATE programme was the Ministerial Conference held in Kazakhstan in November 2006. The Astana Declaration was signed as the final document of the conference. The document identifies the implementation of energy cooperation between the EU, the littoral states of the  Black and Caspian Seas in the following four priority areas.
         1.    Converging energy markets on the basis of the principles of the EU internal energy market, taking into account the particularities of the Partner Countries (harmonisation of legal, regulatory and institutional framework for market                            liberalisation);
         2.    Enhancing safety and security of energy transportation networks; 
         3.    Implementing sustainable development policy including the development of energy efficiency, energy saving and renewable energy by addressing the issues of environmental aspects of energy exports, imports, transit and demand;
         4.    Supporting investment in energy projects of common interest. 

Azerbaijan was represented in the programme by the Ministry of Energy as the national coordinator.
On April 14-18, 2008, workshops on 'Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Demand Management - The Sustainable Way' were held in Brussels within the framework of the European Union's INOGATE programme.
On February 9-13, 2009, the 'Energy Security Seminar' was held in Brussels within the programme.
On April 25-27, 2010, the first technical group meeting on the project 'Harmonisation of Electricity Standards" was held in Kiev, Ukraine, within the INOGATE programme.
On May 17-22, 2010, a Meeting of INOGATE Country Coordinators and Working Groups was held in Brussels. 
On December 8-12, 2010, there was a workshop on the project 'Harmonisation of Electricity Standards' held in Chisinau, Moldova.
On January 16-23, 2011, another workshop on the project 'Harmonisation of Electricity Standards' was held in Brussels.
On February 7-9, 2011, a final conference was held on the completion of the project 'Harmonisation of Electricity Standards' in Kiev, Ukraine, implemented under the INOGATE programme.
On May 17-21, 2011, the next semiannual meeting of the INOGATE Country Coordinators and Working Group Members was held in Brussels.
On December 13-15, 2011, the Ministry participated in a meeting of the INOGATE Country Coordinators and Working Group Members and the final conference of the SEMISE project in Brussels. 
In 2012, the Ministry of Energy was once again represented in a meeting of the INOGATE Country Coordinators and Working Group Members and the final conference of the SEMISE project in Brussels. 
On April 4, 2013, a workshop on ‘Energy Efficiency in the Transport Sector’ was organised by the Ministry of Energy and the Technical Secretariat of the INOGATE programme.
On May 10, 2013, the Ministry of Energy hosted a presentation on the preparation of the Status Report on the energy sector of each member country, organised by the INOGATE Technical Secretariat and the International Energy Agency.
On September 20, 2013, the Ministry participated in a seminar on the implementation of the Energy Statistics Action Plan of the INOGATE programme.
On July 17, 2014, the Ministry of Energy organised an information event along with the organisation of the INOGATE Technical Secretariat Programme of the European Union at the Ministry of Energy.
On November 25-27, 2014, the Ministry participated in a meeting on ‘Energy Statistics Network’ in an international conference in Zagreb, Croatia, on the achievements of the Energy Statistics Action Plans (2012-2014) and the importance of improving data quality for energy statistics, balances and planning.
In 2015, within the framework of cooperation under this programme, priority areas for the long-term strategic and effective development of the energy sector in Azerbaijan were developed.
In 2015, projects under the INOGATE programme were completed and the programme activities were suspended.
On March 9, 2016, representatives from the Ministry of Energy were also involved in the workshop ‘Perspectives, Concerns and Overall Planning for the Setup of an Independent Energy Regulator in Azerbaijan, held by the INOGATE Technical Secretariat.