Mark Rachovides, President Emeritus, Euromines
Euromines President Emeritus Mark Rachovides joined a panel of government and energy sector representatives at the Sofia Economic Forum VII (Delphi Economic Forum) on 26 October 2026, contributing to discussions on “Energy Resilience: Nuclear Power Stability and the Vertical Gas Corridor.”
The discussion explored the role of nuclear power in maintaining regional grid stability, the challenges posed by extreme weather events, and the importance of the Vertical Gas Corridor in strengthening energy security and diversifying energy supplies across Southeast Europe.
During his contribution, Mark emphasised the strategic importance of Critical Raw Materials in supporting Europe’s energy transition and strengthening its strategic autonomy. He highlighted Europe’s potential to reduce its dependence on external suppliers, while noting that persistent underinvestment and high energy costs continue to undermine the competitiveness of European industry.
Key priorities for advancing Europe's Critical Raw Materials sector
- Clearer political will is needed to move from ambition to action and address the challenges facing Europe’s raw materials sector.
- Addressing underinvestment and high energy costs, alongside translating policy statements and legislation into concrete measures, is essential to strengthening Europe’s competitiveness.
- Greater cooperation and more progressive regulation of energy markets are necessary to support European industry and strengthen energy resilience.
- An independent, well-resourced Critical Raw Materials Centre, with appropriate governance and strong support from Member States, would be vital to advancing the most important European value chains.
Panellists:
- Iva Petrova, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Bulgaria
- Kalin Peshov, Chairman of the Management Board, Glavbolgarstroy Holding (GBS)
- Oscar Prat, Senior Bulgaria Project Director, Westinghouse Electric Company
- Kiril Ravnachki, Executive Director, Bulgartransgaz EAD
- Bogomil Manchev, Chairman of the Board of Directors, BULATOM
- Sabrina Schulz, PhD, Germany Director, European Initiative for Energy Security (EIES)
- Mark Rachovides, President Emeritus, Euromines
- Konstantin Valkov, Director of Special Projects and Lecturer at New Bulgarian University (Chair)