Strategic partnership between the democratic and people's Republic of Algeria and the European Union in the field of energy: High-Level Annual Meeting

The sixth meeting of the high-level political dialogue on energy between the European Union and Algeria was held in Algiers on 12 February 2026 under the co-chairmanship of Mr Mohamed Arkab, Minister of State, Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mines, Mr Mourad Adjal, Minister of Energy and Renewable Energies and Mr Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, for the European Union.

This meeting is part of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on the strategic partnership between Algeria and the EU in the field of energy, signed in Algiers in 2013, which aims to develop and strengthen energy relations while respecting the balance of interests between the two parties.

The meeting was preceded by a bilateral between the two Ministers and the Commissioner on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of energy, reaffirming the strategic nature of the energy partnership between the EU and Algeria at a time when the global energy scene is facing complex challenges and the energy transition is accelerating.

This sixth meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of the state of play of bilateral cooperation and to reaffirm the common will to strengthen it through further exchanges in the framework of the sectoral working group and the two expert groups on natural gas and electricity, new and renewable energy and energy efficiency, created in 2015, which presented the report of their work.

Both sides welcomed the progress made in the implementation of the partnership, which contributed to a better mutual understanding on issues of common interest such as natural gas, renewable hydrogen, greenhouse gas reduction, the development of renewable energy and electricity interconnections as well as the promotion of energy efficiency. Both sides also highlighted Algeria's role as a reliable and sustainable supplier of natural gas, as well as the EU's role as a reliable provider of clean energy technologies and solutions, including for power grids, electrical equipment and system integration, supporting Algeria's energy transition with high standards, reliability and long-term value creation. On this occasion, the parties also discussed the prospects for the development of the hydrocarbon sector in Algeria, in particular natural gas, which is considered a common strategic issue. They stressed that Algeria remains a major and reliable supplier for Europe, and expressed the wish to see an increase in European investment in the hydrocarbons sector in Algeria.

The two sides also stressed that Algeria has several competitive advantages, including its considerable natural and human resources and important energy infrastructure, to create an ecosystem favourable to the development of low-carbon technologies, in particular through the development of the hydrogen and renewable energy sectors, which will enable it to consolidate and strengthen its position as a major player on the world energy scene as a key regional supplier of renewable electricity and hydrogen.

Since the last ministerial meeting in October 2023, three expert group sessions have been organised, as well as a seminar on the green hydrogen economy and another on reducing methane emissions. At the same time, the priorities identified in the dialogue were integrated into the TaqatHy+ technical cooperation programme, launched in April 2025 and co-financed by the EU and Germany.

Algeria is a strategic and reliable partner for the EU's natural gas supply, its importance has been underlined in the current global context. Both sides expressed their common ambition to further strengthen cooperation in the field of gas, and to support the resilience of the European energy system.

The two sides discussed Algeria-EU cooperation on reducing fugitive methane emissions and agreed to strengthen coordination and consultation to ensure a harmonised implementation of the EU Methane Regulation, so as to preserve and optimise access for Algerian gas to the EU market. This will also have a positive impact in terms of climate change mitigation, methane availability for the local Algerian market or increased exports. The EU welcomed Algeria's commitment to reducing methane emissions as a key factor for the competitiveness and long-term sustainability of its gas exports.

Both sides presented the progress made in rolling out their respective renewable and green hydrogen strategies. The SoutH2 Corridor project, which aims to develop a corridor dedicated to hydrogen transport linking Algeria to Europe, was discussed, as was the EU's contribution to the project "Support for the energy transition and the development of hydrogen".

The challenges inherent in the deployment of hydrogen and its derivatives were also mentioned, namely, the establishment of a clear and incentive regulatory framework, the development of robust and competitive hydrogen markets that are transparent and accessible through visibility into future demand, the mobilisation of investments to develop integrated industrial projects, and capacity building and the creation of sustainable wealth and jobs at local level.

Both parties recognised the growing importance of the development of energy infrastructure, in particular electricity interconnections between Algeria and the European Union, which represent opportunities for collaboration of common and strategic interest, and both parties agreed to work more closely together on regulatory requirements and investments to enable electricity interconnections to materialise.

In addition, the activities of the Energy Partnership will also be continued under the TaqatHy+ programme, co-financed by the EU and Germany (€15 million and €13 million respectively) and implemented by GIZ. TaqatHy+ aims to support the development of renewable energy projects, the integration of renewable energy into the system, electricity grids, the development of a green hydrogen economy, energy efficiency in buildings and public companies, as well as the reduction of fugitive methane emissions.

Finally, the two sides welcome the spirit that prevailed during the various meetings and exchanges and express their satisfaction with the progress made in the framework of bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, which benefits both sides and reiterate their commitment to consolidate the partnership in the framework of the High Level Energy Dialogue.