The strong economic ties between the United States and the European Union have significant influence on worldwide economic growth, prosperity and trade. Together, the two regions make up the world's largest energy market. As the United States begins to move towards energy independence, Europe will need to make a decision on which direction it will take in terms of energy development. This revolution will help to loosen Russia's hold on Europe and give both the U.S. and the E.U. opportunities to be less dependent on war-torn and politically unstable nations in the Middle East.

Christian Burgsmüller, delegate of the European Union to the United States, will explore the ways in which the U.S. and the E.U. can work together through the impending energy revolution and what it will mean for the global economy.

Christian Burgsmüeller is head of the Energy, Transport and Environment Section for the Delegation of the European Union to the U.S. Burgsmüeller is a career E.U. diplomat with the European External Action Service. Since 2010 he has been serving as Counselor at the E.U. Delegation to the U.S. in Washington D.C. where he heads the Energy, Transport and Environment section. He's a lawyer by training and joined the European Commission in Brussels in 2000. Over the following 6 years he held posts both in the Commission's Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry as well as in the Directorate-General for Trade. He has been a visiting lecturer on E.U. and German politics at Sciences Po Paris and the University of Sao Paulo.