European Conference on Local Energy Action
The Annual Event of Energy Management Agents in Europe
26-27 November 2003, Brussels, Belgium and on the Internet

Delegates (62 Kb PDF)

Introduction
Aims & Objectives
Conference Conclusions, Video Recordings and Chat Transcripts
Programme  
Interviews
Meeting Points for Networking & Partnerships
Exhibition

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The European Union has put forward challenging goals regarding the use of renewables, efficient use of energy and clean urban transport. The policy is outlined in the White Paper on European Transport Policy and the Green Paper on Security of Energy Supply as well as in the directives on Electricity Produced from Renewables, Alternative Motor Fuels, Energy Performance of Buildings and other directives. Programmes like Intelligent Energy - Europe (IEE) and the 6th Framework programme are designed to support this policy to ensure a more sustainable future for Europe.

Local and regional initiatives are of utmost importance in achieving this goal. Local and regional energy agencies and decision makers are an important resource of knowledge and experience. ManagEnergy will help to use this experience and to share success stories and good practice through a network of local and regional stakeholders.

This year's annual conference focused on the latest policy issues and new energy programmes, directives and other action initiated by the Commission, with a look toward the future.

There will also be an emphasis on financial mechanisms available at local and regional level, especially related to the Structural Funds. Good examples from projects implemented under Structural Funds will be presented and discussed.

Background

The Conference on Local and Regional Energy Management Agencies on 6 November 2001 invited all local and regional energy management agencies under one single roof for the first time. The conference aimed at starting a process to improve the demand policy implementation at local level in line with the Green Paper on Security of Energy Supply. As a result, the Commission's initiative ManagEnergy was launched which aims to provide European support for local energy and transport activities.

With the aim to continue to reinforce the communication between energy agencies, over 1100 participants, including virtual delegates and media conference participants, joined the second annual ManagEnergy event on local energy action in November 2002. The number of virtual delegates that viewed the event online totalled 705 resulting in 2170 video clips being requested during the two days.

MEPs Ms Rothe, Ms Schierhuber and Mr Turmes together with Mr Lamoureux, Director General for Energy and Transport in the European Commission, offered the conference audience Community views on energy efficiency, renewables and clean urban transport at local level.

This year's conference on Local Energy Action is to be held on 26-27 November in Brussels and focus will be towards the broadening of local and regional cooperation in Europe, particularly towards the Development Agencies and Municipalities. The Development Agencies are the main operators in regional development, while municipalities, as the public body closest to citizens, can control and influence many energy decisions at a local level. A key area within the programme is the importance of Structural Funds for European regions and the potential they offer for Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy Sources and Clean Urban Transport. These highlighted areas will facilitate global thinking on strategic local issues and support local actors in the capacity building process, resulting in better use of available solutions to sustainable energy and transport problems.

Objectives of the third Annual Conference in 2003

1. To inform local and regional energy agencies about the latest Community legislative and other policy initiatives.
   
2. To address transport issues related to energy efficiency and the use of renewables.
   
3. To discuss financing through the Structural Funds of local activities in the energy efficiency and renewables sector.
   
4. To exchange experience on efficient communication between local energy management agencies and local decision-makers, and on influencing the attitude and behaviour of final energy consumers.

The Annual Conference is an event in a series of other events planned under the ManagEnergy Initiative. The conference will be an opportunity for the Community institutions to inform local and regional energy management agencies promoting DG TREN policies about Community priorities and to get feedback from local and regional level in what works and what does not. The results of this dialogue will help the Commission to shape and fine-tune the future information activities within local and regional actors.

The first day will allow organisations and associations to present their views on the role of local and regional actors in energy policy. It will be followed by the presentation of the Community dimension to local actions, including the Intelligent Energy for Europe programme.

The second day of the event will be dedicated to the Structural Funds, examples from local and regional projects implemented with the financial help of the Funds as well as possibilities for future use of the Funds in the Union as well as in the Accession Countries.

The conference will end in a Round Table discussion between relevant European, national, regional and local actors on co-operation between the European and local actors in the energy and transport sectors.

Number of expected attendants

• 450 in Brussels;
  
• 1500 attendants through the virtual facilities;
  
• 50-100 energy and transport actors participating in media-conferences organised by local and regional energy agencies at local level.

Interactive Video Conferencing on Internet - Virtual Facilities

The Conference was covered by a full two day Internet streaming (voice and picture) in five languages and by interactive Internet Chats, which allowed any energy actor to follow and participate in the whole conference through Internet. It was also possible for virtual participants to discuss the event and topics covered with each other during the conference. Full video recordings of the conference deliberations are available on the ManagEnergy Internet Broadcast website.

Follow-up Action

The conclusions of the conference will feed into more targeted thematic workshops focusing on learning from good practice and developing replication strategies, joint projects and co-operation. Workshops will involve local and regional energy management agencies (SAVE, OPET and non-SAVE and non-OPET) in the EU, EEA and in the Candidate Countries. They will facilitate the transfer of expertise within certain thematic fields from 'agencies of excellence' to those energy management agencies that have expressed a particular interest in the topic.

The conclusions of the conference will also lay ground to the development and increased cooperation with local and regional governments on energy issues. In the near future the European Commission will be further broadening the provision of online European information services, including partner search function for exchange of expertise and joint projects, information on latest Community legislation, funding opportunities and news to energy experts and persons responsible for energy matters in municipalities.

A Meeting Points for Networking and Partnerships session was included in the European Conference on Local Energy Action programme.

Meeting points were not recorded.

Meeting Point A: FEDARENE - "Enlargement"

• Introduction by Michael Geissler & Armand Dütz
  
• Brief presentations by DG TREN & DG Enlargement & DG Regio of the EC tools
  
• Presentation of successful common projects between agencies from EU15 and accession countries (4 projects - 3 min each)
  
• Open discussion managed by Ralf Goldmann on "How facilitate joint Member State/Candidate Country projects"? How support the set up of regional and/or local energy agencies in candidate countries? How provide advices in the realisation of programmes, policies and campaigns?

In parallel, exhibition of panels presenting the above successful projects will complete these very short presentations.

Michael Geissler, Secretary General FEDARENE,
Email: strehlow@berliner-e-agentur.de

Meeting Point B: The SEANCE project

Meeting of UK (and possibly Belgian) Energy Agencies to explain the SEANCE Project

Ian Byrne, Association of UK Energy Agencies, UK
Email: ian@natenergy.org.uk

Meeting Point C: The Energy League

NRC is running a network called the Energy League. Through this network managers and maintenance personnel in property sector can seek advice/support and exchange ideas of improving energy efficiency. Focus: constant improvement. Want potential partners.

Elsmari Julin, NRC, Sweden
Email: elsmari.julin@nrc.se

Meeting Point D: Transport

Hans Gulliksson, Energikontor Sydost, Sweden
Email: hans.gulliksson@energikontor-so.com

Meeting Point E: The market for SAVE Agencies in the field of contracting

What are the main success factors?

Heiner Matthies, Energieberatung Prenzlauer Berg (Berlin), Germany,
Email: matthies@energieberatung-pb.de

Meeting Point F: Meeting point for SAVE agencies

The European Commission officials in charge of the management of energy agencies within Directorate-General for Energy & Transport will be available to discuss contractual, administrative, technical and financial issues related to energy agencies' contracts. They will also discuss good practice and suggestions for other ManagEnergy initiatives for 2004.

Pedro Ballesteros
Daniela Mormile
José Duprez
Mari Varho

Partner search facility (Exhibition area)

Forms were provided in the conference pack for anyone to fill out and put on a "bulletin board" which was available throughout the conference. Those interested in participating in the development of the project proposal ideas could sign up.

After the conference the service provider collected the completed forms and sent details to the project proposer so that they could make further contacts with those who have indicated that they are interested in the project idea

Project proposals have also been added to the Partner Search section of this website.

An exhibition was organized during this event as a result of several requests from local actors to display and disseminate information on projects and activities. Given the limited space and the nature of the requests the exhibition focused on concrete cases mainly in the sectors of multimedia and virtual activities in training and capacity building and good examples at local and regional level.

Exhibitors at the ManagEnergy Annual Conference: