The European Commission and 14 EU countries (Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden) signed a political declaration on the sidelines of the informal meeting of energy ministers in Valletta on Thursday 18 May, launching the new “Clean Energy for EU Islands” initiative which seeks to speed up the transition to clean energy on over 2,700 European islands.
This initiative will help islands reduce their dependence on energy imports by making better use of their own renewable energy sources and embracing more modern and innovative energy systems. It will seek to compare notes on common problems that different islands face, building on best practices and experience from pilot projects. Part of the scheme is also aimed at making it easier to access new energy technologies and sources of funding.
The initiative will create a forum for all those with an interest in the clean energy transition on EU islands to share best practice and support the creation of a long-term framework to promote funding and technical assistance. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)