Cities and regions back Lithuanian EU Presidency's energy plans and call for improved local investment

Committee of the Regions (CoR) President Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso has stressed the importance of the EU's energy market in tackling the crisis during a conference on resource efficiency in Vilnius, Lithuania. Speaking in the presence of Lithuania Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius, President Valcárcel argued that more was urgently needed to improve conditions to allow far greater local and regional energy investment across Europe.

President Valcárcel's intervention came during a conference on resource efficiency, organised by the CoR and the Lithuanian EU Presidency, which reviewed the main challenges local and regional authorities face in achieving targets set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy. The event brought together representatives from local and regional authorities who also discussed the local perspective for creating a sustainable energy sector. During the event President Valcárcel remarked, "We welcome the Lithuanian EU Presidency's commitment to creating a sustainable competitive energy market. This is fundamental in helping us not only meet the Europe 2020 targets and move towards a truly resource-efficient society, but also to compete on the global stage spurring much needed economic growth".

Prime Minister of Lithuania, Algirdas Butkevičius said that "Co-operation with local and regional authorities is one the main factors in contributing to the success of the Lithuanian EU Presidency. Many policy areas executed at the local level of government have proven to be far more effective in helping reduce costs, provide a better quality of service and meet the real needs of citizens. The role of local and regional government is paramount in creating a sustainable single energy market, especially with regards to resource management. Developing and soldifying co-operation between national and local and regional government must be viewed as a precondition if we are to solve some of the key challenges today, assuring the long-term economic development and increased competitiveness of the EU."

Though local and regional governments are facing cuts to public investment, they continue to show commitment to creating a more resource-efficient Europe, seen through the near 5 000 signatories of the Covenant of Mayors who have voluntarily committed to meeting and exceeding the EU's 20 % CO2 reduction objective by 2020. President Valcárcel said both sustainable energy and resource efficiency must consider the local and regional dimension, "Territory matters. This conference has shown that with such a vast array of different policy areas influencing our energy and environment, we must take an integrated approach which enables local government to shape energy policy".

Valcárcel called on the Lithuanian Presidency to make available EU funds and financial tools, such as energy performance contracts, public-private partnerships, private funds and innovative financing agreements, which could support local and regional sustainable energy investment. Access to European Investment Bank funds should be simplified and supplement EU cohesion financing with investment geared towards supporting efficient energy consumption, small-scale production and smart grid development. "Local governments and local businesses need better access and more flexibility to funds. Consumer choice must also be at the heart of the strategy to drive competition and push down energy prices" Valcárcel concluded.

Background

The event Resource-efficient Europe: the contribution of cities and regions, organised in collaboration with the Lithuanian EU Presidency, is the 6th in a series of seven conferences being organised by the CoR that assess the implementation of the Europe 2020 flagship initiatives at a local and regional level. The conclusions of the conferences will feed into the CoR's contribution to the European Commission's midterm assessment of the 2020 Strategy. The CoR review is to be adopted at the 2014 European Summit of Regions and Cities on 6-7 March next year

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