Brussels, 05/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - In order to continue to improve the access of their populations to energy and to make better use of their green energy potential, the 78 ACP (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific) countries, linked to the EU by the Cotonou agreement, will be able to count on a new injection of €200 million from their European partners.
This financial contribution was announced in Brussels on Wednesday 4 November at the launch of the second phase of the ACP-EU Energy Facility, which is funded by the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) for the period 2009-2013. A conference organised by the European Commission on the state of play and prospects of the facility provided the opportunity for this. Two case studies - the conversion of biomass into electric energy in the Dominican Republic and the provision of renewable energy for small villages in Vanuatu - illustrated the success of the initial phase of the instrument, which was created in June 2005 to implement the initiative of the EU to promote energy for the eradication of poverty and to promote sustainable development.
"If we are going to see real economic and social developments for the world's poorest, there must be access to reliable energy services. The Energy Facility will contribute to helping to reach this goal whilst also encouraging greater energy efficiency and clean energy solutions which are critical as developing nations also take up the fight against climate change", said Karel De Gucht, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid.
The new Energy Facility will co-fund projects to improve the access of poor rural populations in the ACP countries to better-quality energy services. In the framework of the fight against climate change, it will grant priority to projects favouring the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar systems, windfarms, hydraulic energy, biomass (bio-fuel and bio-gas) and geothermal systems, as well as energy efficiency in public and private buildings. It will also fund operations to promote good governance and the reinforcement of capacities in the energy sector at local, national and regional levels.
This co-funding will be carried out via calls for proposals - the first will be launched during the month of November - and two new instruments: a pooling mechanism involving funding institutions and the private sector, and financial aid to good energy governance allocated under the Partnership Dialogue Facility.
In its first phase, nearly 7 million people benefited from 74 projects co-funded to a total of €196 million (the total cost of the project was €430 million). The Energy Facility also received more than €230 million co-funded by the public and private sectors. (A.N./transl.fl)