B. BACKGROUND and CONTEXT
Energy demand in the APEC region accounts for almost half of the world total energy demand and is expected to grow faster than other regions. Energy supply, however, has remained below the demand and dependency on supply from other regions has increased rapidly and this trend is expected to continue. In addition, greenhouse gas emission has become a serious issue reflecting high dependency on fossil fuel, specifically coal. As a result, energy security and environmental sustainability are serious issues in this region. Given the situation, importance of cooperation in the energy policy making among APEC member economies was recognized and the exchange of information and energy statistics and wider dissemination of the information was stressed as prerequisite for this cooperation. The wider dissemination of this information would also contribute to increasing the efficiency of the regional energy market.

Recognizing the importance of this issue, the 2nd APEC EWG Meeting in March 1991 in Jakarta agreed to establish an Expert Group within APEC responsible for managing and reviewing the operation of the APEC Energy Data Base. It also agreed that the central data collection point would be set up in the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan. Pursuant to this decision, the Energy Data Expert Group was established in 1991. The Group set up a Coordinating Agency as the central data collection point at the Energy Data and Modelling Center, the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan.

The Expert Group developed the APEC Energy Data Base through constructing an energy data collection network among member economies. The Expert Group has published“APEC Energy Statistics” annually since 1993 and in 1995 it published“Historical APEC Energy Statistics 1980-92”. The Expert Group has also developed an on-line data collection and dissemination system.

Following the 12th EWG Meeting in Hong Kong in May 1996, the name of the Expert Group was changed to the “Energy Data and Outlook Expert Group”reflecting its new role of advising the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre in the execution of its outlook and research activities. It was further approved at the 18th EWG Meeting in Wellington, New Zealand, to change the name of the Group to the current “Expert Group on Energy Data and Analysis”. This is to reflect the expanded research activities of APERC and the Group’s role in overseeing these activities of the APERC as well as responding to the EWG’s increasing need for information and analysis in its policy oriented discussions.

The specific objectives are :

• 1. To improve the availability and consistency of energy data and to develop an up-to-date and consistent APEC Energy Data Base, principally covering energy demand and supply data in the first instance.
• 2. To construct an APEC energy data collection and dissemination network and to develop an on-line system for this purpose.
• 3. To be responsible for managing and reviewing the operation of the APEC Energy Data Base through data analysis and related economic analysis.
• 4. To collect policy relevant energy information.
• 5. To collect “Monthly Oil, Gas and Annual Capacity and Reserve Data” of the APEC economies in support of “Joint Organization Data Initiative”, as a joint activity of APEC, EUROSTAT, GECF, IEA, IEFS, OLADE, OPEC and UNSD.
• 6. To collect the Energy Efficiency Indicators in support of the “Energy Security Initiatives” cooperating with the Expert Group on Energy Efficiency and Conservation.
• 7. To examine and advise on APERC’s research activities, including presentation of proposals for research on energy demand and supply issues and covering short term and long term and structural issues.
• 8. To report to and to advise the EWG on each of the above activities, including APERC’s research program, and to communicate to APERC the EWG’s priorities for its work program.

• 1. The Expert Group was set up to achieve the above mentioned objectives, and is open to all APEC member economies.
• 2. The chair of the Expert Group is elected by the Expert Group. The chair’s term is three years. However, the chair can be re-appointed, whenever the Expert Group chooses to do so.
• 3. The vice-chair, who will assist the job of the chair, will be nominated by the chair. This nomination will be approved by the Group.
• 4. The Expert Group has appointed as a Coordinating Agency, the Energy Data and Modelling Center, the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan.
• 5. The Coordinating Agency collects energy data of the APEC region, edits the“ APEC Energy Statistics”, and operates the APEC Energy Data Base.
• 6. Following approval of the Expert Group, the Coordinating Agency requests funding from the APEC Central Fund each to release the “APEC Energy Statistics”and other relevant publications and to support other relevant activities.
• 7. The APEC Secretariat has printed the“APEC Energy Statistics”, and other agreed publications and distributes them to all member economies till 2009. From 2010, this job moved to the Coordinating Agency of the Group.
• 8. The Expert Group normally holds a meeting once a year. The chair is required to send a meeting agenda approximately two months prior to the Meeting, and to distribute the documents for the Meeting well in advance of the Meeting to allow members of the Expert Group sufficient time to prepare for the discussion in the Meeting.
• 9. At this meeting, the President and senior staff of APERC report to the EGEDA concerning the Centre’s research agenda and activities and receive advice on the further development of its work program.
• 10. APERC provides an analytical capacity to the EGEDA through the preparation of its periodical APEC Regional Energy Outlooks and the conduct of policy-related research.
• 11. The chair of EGEDA reports and makes recommendations to EWG on the activities of the EGEDA, including Coordinating Agency activities and APERC’s research program.
• 12. The Expert Group Meeting location is rotated among APEC member economies.