EuroACE joins European renewables organisations and NGOs in calling on member states to increase energy efficiency funding

During the final months of 2006 and the first part of 2007, EU member states are submitting to the European Commission their plans for spending Structural and Cohesion Funds in the period from 2007 to 2013.

EuroACE has joined forces with European renewables and environmental organisations - FoE Europe, EREC (the European Renewable Energy Council) and Energie-Cites - and produced an analysis of these spending plans (draft Operational Programmes).  The analysis has focused in particular on the plans submitted by the Central and Eastern European states, which receive by far the largest share of EU funds.

The findings of the study are worrying - and reveal that most of the CEE states are proposing very low levels of support for both energy efficiency and renewables.  Poland and Hungry are the worst culprits, planning to spend under 1% of their Structral and Cohesion Funds on such projects between 2007 and 2013.  Lithuania is the only CEE country that seems to take energy efficiency and renewables seriously, planning to invest 6% of their EU money on them.

The spending plans make a mockery of the EU's newly reformed cohesion policy, which emphasises energy efficiency and renewable energy as one of the top investment priorities for the Structural and Cohesion Funds, as well as the new EU Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, which demands that the funds are mobilised to spur energy efficiency in the new member states.

The European Commission has two months from the receipt of member states' plans to request changes.  EuroACE is calling on the Commission to use this opportunity to go back to member states and urge them to strengthen their plans.  We believe that at least 5% of all EU Funds in each member state should be allocated for energy efficiency and renewable investments.

EuroACE and its partner organisations have already met to discuss the report with senior Commission officials from DG Tren, DG Regio and DG Environment.  We now plan to use the report's findings to put pressure on individual member state governments to come up with more ambitious proposals. 

Read the latest version of the constantly updated report, Channelling EU funds into efficient and renewable energy.