Europe and its neighbours join forces for renewables and energy efficiency

As awareness grows of humankind’s hand in climate change, the question of how Europe and its neighbours are to ensure a secure supply of energy in future has become the focus of increasing public attention. The German government has made energy one of the major issues of its EU Presidency. In order to accord renewable energies and energy efficiency a greater role in European neighbourhood policy, German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul and German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel are hosting a ministerial conference in Berlin as part of Germany’s EU Presidency.
The conference is the first time that so many environment and energy ministers from Europe, North Africa and the southern Caucasus have come together to discuss innovative policies and financing instruments to promote renewable energies and energy efficiency in the EU and its southern and eastern neighbours. It is lending vital new momentum to an expansion of the dialogue between the new and the old EU member states and between the EU and its southern and eastern neighbours on the political, economic and regulatory framework required to promote domestic renewable energies and energy efficiency and on innovative financing models and instruments. By 2013, the EU will be providing some 11.2 billion euros through the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument for cooperation in sectors including energy. There was a consensus that a larger share of this than before should be used to expand the use of renewable energies and for measures to enhance energy efficiency.

Germany is currently supporting energy projects in 45 partner countries. Funding for ongoing projects amounts to around 1.6 billion euros. Of this, 929 million euros has been invested in projects to promote renewable energies – hydropower, wind power, solar power, geothermal power and the sustainable use of biomass – and 706 million euros in projects to boost energy efficiency.

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