ANKARA

 The World Forum on Energy Regulation, sponsored by Anadolu Agency, will start on Monday in Istanbul.

The four-day forum, hosted by the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA), is aimed at developing a common approach to energy regulation by bringing together regulatory heads and representatives.

The forum will open with speeches from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz and EMRA head Mustafa Yilmaz.

The opening session will focus on trade-offs between investor and consumer interests and the role regulators can play in balancing the interests of stakeholders.

The second day, themed Benefiting from Change, will look at the challenges and opportunities arising from political change and rapid technological development, as well as the role of innovation in regulatory practices.

The panel will be made up of Klaus-Dieter Borchardt, director at the European Commission's Directorate on the Internal Energy Market; Susan Ackerman, vice president of the Oregon Public Utility Commission; Hafez El-Salmawy, from the Egyptian Electric Utility and Customer protection regulatory agency; and Marie-Jose Nadeau, chairman of the World Energy Council.

The forum will include four main subjects for discussion: balancing the interests of shareholders; benefiting from innovation; regulation and sustainability; and ways to more rational regulation.

High-level discussions on sustainable and reliable energy supply as well as common approaches to more reasonable and compatible regulatory systems will also be held for an audience of regulatory agencies, energy companies, specialists and academics.

Over the four days, 24 sessions with 120 moderators and speakers will cover topics as varied as integrating energy networks, universal energy access and the role of the regulator in supply security.

The forum will also host two special sessions on the struggle of energy-poor regions and the forthcoming G20 meeting the southern city of Antalya.