What we do

Background

In May 2017 the European Commission, together with 14 Member States, signed the "Political Declaration on Clean Energy For EU Islands" under the Maltese Presidency.

This Declaration was born out of the recognition that islands and island regions face a particular set of energy challenges and opportunities due to their specific geographic and climatic conditions. The opportunities have the potential to make Europe’s island communities innovation leaders in the clean energy transition for Europe and beyond - a fact the European Commission explicitly recognised in its Communication on "Clean Energy for All Europeans", reassuring its commitment to ensure that the energy concerns of island inhabitants are at the forefront of the energy transition and related policy developments.

In cooperation with the European Parliament, the Commission in 2018 set up a Secretariat to deliver the objectives of the Clean Energy for EU Islands Initiative. The Secretariat acts as a platform of exchange of best practice for islands' stakeholders and provides dedicated capacity building and advisory services.

The secretariat

The Clean energy for EU islands secretariat was created to facilitate the clean energy transition on EU islands from the bottom up. It is built on the vision that in order to assure the best environment for change, and to benefit all members of the island communities, a balanced collaboration between public and private stakeholders is essential. For this reason, the Secretariat is using the quadruple helix approach, helping citizens, local authorities, local businesses and academic institutions work together to advance the clean energy transition on their island.

The EU islands secretariat will support Europe’s island communities by providing:

  • Direct support on the development of island Clean Energy Transition Agendas

  • Guidance on the development of island Clean Energy Transition Agendas

  • Access to support documentation for developing clean energy transition agendas and for the financing of decarbonization plans

  • Support on the identification of individual projects (QuickScans)

  • Assistance on project preparation (technical & financial due diligence)

  • Support on the identification of individual projects (QuickScans)

  • Assistance on project preparation (technical & financial due diligence)

  • Access to networking events such as Clean Island Forums and Technical Fairs

  • Capacity-building workshops

  • Capacity-building webinars

  • Access to an online collaborative platform and peer-to-peer support

  • Helpdesk support

The key topics covered by the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat are:

  • Energy production

  • Energy efficiency

  • Heating and cooling

  • Transport to and from the island

  • Transport on the island