26.06.2014
On 26th June, the conference ‘Decentralised energy systems: engaging citizens in Europe’s energy future’ within 2014 EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is taking place in Brussels organised by Cooperatives Europe, REScoop.EU, Housing Europe (CECODHAS), Euro Coop, Friends of the Earth and Climate Alliance. The aim of this event is to show for the newly installed European Parliament and the future EU Commission that local authorities together with their citizens have the recipe for what it takes to make the European energy transition a success story.
While the current energy debate is focusing on setting new targets for 2030 and the internal energy market, more recognition should be given to a decentralised energy approach through citizen-based initiatives. These initiatives allow optimal use of local energy resources to satisfy local consumption, create jobs and ensure greater security of energy supply. When investing in local renewable energy projects, economic benefits stay within communities, and therefore foster local prosperity and a circular, resource secure economy. Without strong citizen involvement the energy transition won’t succeed.
The fundamental role of citizens in setting up local initiatives is often in partnership with local and regional authorities and utilities. Therefore this event will examine the barriers when setting up an energy cooperative, what is needed to overcome them and how the EU can provide a more coherent energy policy framework to better include local authorities and citizens. These are some of the key questions to which speakers will try to provide concrete answers and solutions.
Local authorities and cooperatives are key to citizen energy transition. Legal and financial barriers currently prevent citizens from participating more effectively in decisions about Europe’s energy generation, but these can be overcome with help from local governments and cooperatives, as Friends of the Earth Europe, Climate Alliance, REScoop.eu, Cooperatives Europe, CECODHAS and Euro Coop will say during the event on the 26th of June. Read the joint press release.
25.05.2022
The location of the 2022 General Assembly took place in Brussels, Belgium hosted by Copa-Cogeca on Wednesday 25 of May.
AGENDA: Morning – Board meeting Afternoon – GA with strategy talks, statutory business and by-elections – 14:00 (CEST)
In this GA we moved back to the more familiar...
05.05.2022
A participatory workshop with testimonials and discussions hosted by ConcertES, UNIPSO, Cooperatives Europe, Social Good Accelerator at the conference on the social economy and the future of Europe.
This conference, organised French Presidency of the Council of the EU, took place in Strasbourg. It was an opportunity to...
16.03.2022
From 15 to 17 March, we co-hosted workshop 5 “Building a democratic economy for a just transition” with Social Economy Europe, SOLIDAR, the European Environmental Bureau, and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) at the Civil Society Days on March 2022. The yearly event organized by the EESC was...
