The International Network
for Sustainable Energy

Sustainable Energy and Climate Policy Seminar in Romania,
11 December, 2010

The event was organized in cooperation with Prietenii Pamantului (Earth Friends) Romania, and RAC-RO.

The Seminar took place at the new Centre for Traditions and Sustainable Rural Development in Brusturoasa, Romania. Among the 20 participants were mayors, teachers, professors, energy and climate specialists, and the local energy-planning comittee members. The participants discussed the main issues related to climate and energy at European and national levels. Guidance on adaptation to climate changes was also discussed. At the end, a visit to the centre was organised for all participants.

The Seminar focussed on:
- the Romanian NGO views on national implementation of selected EU policies including the use of Structural Funds, implementation of the energy service directive, implementation of the energy performance of buildings directive, and national follow-up of the new EU energy policy.
- Bringing good practices from other countries to the attention of decision-makers in Romania, develop proposals for implementation in Romania, suggest these proposals to decision-makers in cooperating with other, relevant NGOs.

The materials for presentations were prepared by Prietenii Pamantului, Terra Mileniul III and CAN-RO. After the presentations the participants discussed the issues.

- The participants were extremely interested in the field of getting financial support from EU in order to develop energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
- People discussed a very controversial subject, the expansion of the wind parks in Dobrogea historic region of Romania.
- Interesting opinions were presented by mayors who believe that such investments can help to reduce the costs of energy, while the NGOs representatives aren’t so happy with the lack of transparency of both, central and local authorities and the investors.
- However, it became clear during this seminar that there is a huge opportunity in the use of renewable energy by applying for funds from several programs including “Casa Verde” (Green House). The structural funds can also be used for renewable energy large projects. Such kind of projects can be managed by Local Initiative Groups formed by several rural localities. One of the proposed LAGs is located in the area of High Trotus Valley named also The Mountain Valley, and most of the participants are connected some how with this large project. It was generally recognised that the use of the structural funds is very slow. Only a small faction of the available funding has been allocated to projects so there is a lot of possibility to get funding for good proposals.

Read more on energy NGO activities in Romania:

Sustainable Energy NGO Seminar in 2009 in Romania

Sustainable Energy NGO Seminar in 2008 in Romania

Sustainable Energy NGO Seminar in 2007 in Romania

INFORSE-Europe in Romanian

SPARE activities in Romania

Contact in Romania:
- Prietenii Pamantului (Earth Friends), att. Ion Constantine Zamfir,
Ph: 40-236-462564, E-mail: earthfriends@clicknet.ro