Brussels, 09/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - The third annual European Union Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW 2009) planned for 9-13 February will be marked by a written commitment on Tuesday 10 February. This commitment involves almost 400 cities reducing their CO2 emissions by 2020 as part of the Mayors' Convention launched a year ago (EUROPE 9590). According to the European commissioner for energy, Andris Piebalgs, this commitment is indicative of “the consensus obtained at a local level to reduce pollution and increase energy efficiency”. Mr Piebalgs will be attending the convention signing ceremony, together with the vice-president of the European Parliament, Aldejandro Vidal Quadras (EPP-ED, Spain), the vice-president of the Committee of the Regions, Luc Van den Brande, the president of the EIB, Philippe Maystadt and the mayors of Budapest, Dunkirk, Hamburg, Madrid and Riga. The EUSEW is taking place in a context of the EU's high dependency on energy and the urgent need to make energy savings. EUSEW will include 146 events in 52 EU cities, in association with the European Commission and in partnership with 200 local, regional and national authorities, energy agencies, companies, charities and NGOs. Further information: (http://www.eusew.eh ). (E.H./transl.rh)