Brussels, 11/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 10 February, at an official ceremony in the European Parliament, the high point of the 3rd Sustainable Energy Week, attended by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, Parliament Vice-President Alejo Vidal-Quadras (EPP-ED, Spain), Committee of the Regions President Luc Van den Brande, EIB President Philippe Maystadt, Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and the majors of Budapest, Hamburg, Madrid, Riga and Växjö, over 400 European cities, in signing the Covenant of Mayors, that was launched one year ago (see EUROPE 9590), undertook to exceed the target of a 20% reduction in CO2 emission by 2020.
With this initiative from the European Commission in partnership with the Committee of Regions, the representatives of over 60 million citizens in 23 EU member states plus Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine will work together to achieve the common goal of changing our environment and using energy more wisely. The Covenant of Mayors commits signatory cities to submitting a sustainable energy action plan within a year of their joining, then to reporting on progress to their inhabitants and the Commission every two years. Failure to meet these conditions can lead removal from the pact. While at the moment, 12 European capitals have joined and eight others are considering joining, the Covenant of Majors is not only for large cities: town of all sizes and administrative regions can take part. The committee of the regions is planning to set up a network of signatory cities and regions to assist sharing of best practice. Some third-country cities (in Argentina, the United States, and New Zealand) have expressed interest in the project. The Commission will provide signatories with technical assistance in drawing up their action plans, and, working in concert with the EIB, will set up a €15 million non-repayable aid fund to support investment programmes by signatories in green energy and energy efficiency. The Covenant web site may be found at http://www.eumayors.eu .
Barroso accused of arriving empty-handed. In a press release, several MEPs influential in the energy and climate area - Claude Turmes (Greens, Luxembourg), Umberto Guidoni (GUE.NGL, Italy), Fiona Hall (ALDE, UK), Mechtild Rothe (Greens, Germany) and Anders Wijkman (EPP-ED, Netherlands) - are critical that the Barosso cabinet has given up on plans to provide €500 million for cities as part of the Commission's recovery plan. They go on to point out that Commission President Barroso “fortunately” does not have the final say in this co-decision issue. (E.H./transl.rt)