Meeting Summary

The 7th APEC Energy Data Expert Group Meeting was held on 24 and 25 September 1996 at the Holiday Inn Resort Hotel in Phuket, Thailand chaired by Mr. Kenichi Matsui. Participants came from Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, USA, AEEMTRC (ASEAN-EC Energy Management Training and Research Centre) on behalf of ASEAN Secretariat, APERC (Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre) and IEA (International Energy Agency).

The meeting started with the welcome address of Dr. Piyasvasti Amranand, Secretary General, National Energy Policy Council, Thailand.

The meeting had the following items for report and discussion.

1. Current Status of the APEC Energy Statistics
2. More Effective Use and Presentation of the APEC Energy Data Base
3. Relationship with the APERC
4. Other Business

Mr. Shigeru Kimura, senior researcher of the Energy Data and Modelling Center, Coordinating Agency (CA) of this Group reported that the CA is collecting annual data for 1995 as well as quarterly basis data for first and second quarters of 1996 and that the CA will publish "APEC Energy Statistics 1994" in October 1996. He reported also that the CA had sent a format for collecting expanded data items to the member economies and that they had agreed to this format for the further development of the APEC Energy Data Base. Member's responses are due by the end of 1996.

He also explained the development and current status of the APEC Energy Data system. This development was highly appreciated by the Group. There was a discussion on the contents of the Data Base. It was requested that the information on the energy outlook of each member economy for the APEC Energy Data Base should be delivered to the CA from the member of the Expert Group of that economy. It was also requested that the member economies should make further efforts to improve the quality and timeliness of the data. In conjunction with this point, Mr. Keiichi Yokobori, President of the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre, indicated that the APERC would be prepared to cooperate with AEEMTRC and other relevant international organizations such as UNESCAP, IEA and WEC and to host an energy data workshop jointly with other interested parties where possible.

On this item, there were three presentations. Dr. Hassan Ibrahim, Director, AEEMTRC, made a presentation on how the AEEMTRC use the ASEAN Energy Data Base for producing "ASEAN Energy Review", making analytical works like "Master Plan in Natural Gas" and forecasting ASEAN's energy future. Mr. Shigeru Kimura, Senior Researcher of the Energy Data and Modelling Center, made a presentation on better use and presentation of the APEC Energy Data Base, which was in line with the summary presentation of the ASEAN Energy Review. Dr. Ji-Chul Ryu, Director of the Korean Energy Economics Institute presented his view on the principal aspects and factors of a regional Energy Data Base.

After discussion, it was agreed to produce an overview for the APEC Energy Statistics in the form of APEC energy profile with graphical and summary tables. For the presentation of this overview, the grouping of the APEC member economies by the Coordinating Agency (i.e. East Asia, China, ASEAN, Oceania, North America) was accepted by the Expert Group as a tentative concept for the purpose of statistical analysis of the APEC Energy Data Base. It was also agreed that to further enhance the effective use of the APEC Energy Data Base, each issue should contain special analysis of one sector such as transportation and transformation sectors.

First, the Expert Group reconfirmed the agreed relationship with the APERC, namely, the EDOEG will examine the research activities and know-how transfer programme of the APERC and make recommendations to the EWG. It was noted that it would be necessary for the EDOEG to make work plan recommendations one year in advance. One delegate wished to see this relationship in a written form. The Chairman had the relevant Task Force minutes distributed. Mr. Keiichi Yokobori presented the preliminary working plan and reported the present status of the organization of the APERC. He emphasized that in the case of the joint research activities priority will be placed on the completion of energy outlook through 1997.

Mr. Yokobori also said that it was not possible at this stage to consider the other research activities other than studies related to the outlook. Policy related subjects and the subjects closely connected with the activities of other Expert Groups will be considered in the future. The Know-How Transfer programme will provide expert training courses and dispatch energy experts to the APEC member economies. He also reported that the Forum Island Countries will join the part of this training program as special guests. The Energy Data Network Service will be carried out in cooperation with the Energy Data and Modelling Center. In Mr. Yokobori's explanation on Staffing, Working Organization, Work Planning and Administration, he asked for understanding of the need to take due consideration of the procedure of the governmental budget formulation in Japan in formulating annual plan of the APEC.

He stated that more than half of the APERC staff would be appointed shortly and requested that those economies which had not responded to the request for presenting their researcher candidates provide them at their earliest convenience. The Expert Group discussed his plan and made several comments, which included:

• to present a more detailed work calendar for 1997 at the next meeting scheduled in February or March 1997
• to present a list of research themes for 1998 at the same meeting
• to consider the meeting of specialists on methodological approaches
• to ensure the continuity of the research activities by allowing researchers to stay longer than a year
• to retain the flexibility to reward additional senior positions to appropriately qualified researchers.

Under the discussion item "APEC Energy Outlook", the Expert Group first received the report from Mr. Fatih Birol on the IEA's World Energy Outlook. He also informed that the expert group of the IEA planned workshop on biomass and invited the participation of experts in the APEC member economies.

Mr. Akira Yamamoto, Deputy Director, Energy Policy Planning Division, Agency of Natural Resources and Energy, MITI, Japan, pointed out that after the completion of the APERC's Energy Outlook by the end of 1997, the Japanese government intends to host the APEC Energy Minister's Meeting in 1998 to discuss coordination of energy policies.

Under the discussion item "Other Business", service policy on APEC Energy Data Base was discussed in line with the request by the 12th EWG Meeting in Hong Kong that the EDOEG should provide a draft for the on-line service policy of the APEC Energy Data Base. The Coordinating Agency prepared a draft on this issue for discussion. After discussion, it was agreed to put the following proposal forward to the 13th EWG Meeting for consideration as a temporary arrangement and with a condition that the proposal should be consistent with the arrangement of other APEC working groups.

The proposal says, "Each member economy may permit the use of the Database to individuals and organizations, public or private. Each member economy request IDs and passwords for them to the Coordinating Agency through the participants of the APEC Energy Data and Outlook Expert Group".

It was also agreed that this Group will wait for the results of the study being undertaken by the APEC secretariat for the service policy of the hard copy publication of this Expert Group. It was requested that the documents for the Expert Meeting, including reports of the APERC, shall be distributed well in advance of the meeting to allow members of the group sufficient time to prepare for the discussion in the meeting.

The meeting noted that a new APEC fund, the Trade and Investment Liberalization Facilitation (TILF) fund, had been created in 1996. If the EDOEG wished to recommend any projects to TILF fund in 1998, it will have to do so at its next meeting in February or March 1997.

Finally, the Chairman reported that the Next Meeting will be held in February or March 1997 in Australia and that the exact date and venue will be provided as quickly as possible after they are decided.

On behalf of all participants the Chairman expressed his appreciation to the Government of Kingdom of Thailand through the National Energy Policy Office for excellently hosting the Meeting.