The objective of the conference is
to launch reinforced co-operation among all the interested
energy management agencies for the promotion of energy
efficiency and use of renewable energy sources at
local and regional level. This will include the discussion
on the role of the energy management agencies within
the successor programme(s) for the SAVE and ALTENER
programmes and on the type of the support the agencies
would need in form of transfer of expertise. The discussion
will also help to shape the content of the planned
thematic activities during the coming years (see below).
Furthermore, the Conference will facilitate the dialogue
between the energy management agencies and the decision-makers.
The aim is to identify the ways of work and co-operation
in the support of Union policies on energy efficiency
and renewable energies at local and regional level.The Conference is structured as follows:
Communication of latest European Union energy and transport policy priorities to European energy management agencies, including policy messages from the DG TREN Barcelona Summit (morning session). Keynote speakers will be able to focus on locally relevant energy policy priorities as addressed, e.g., in the Green Paper on Security of Energy Supply, Directives on Green Electricity and on Energy Performance of Buildings and in the Action Plan on Energy Efficiency.
Feed-back from agencies on successful activities, i.e. good practice, in order to address the challenges on energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources (workshops). The workshops will aim at supporting the dissemination and replication of successful project outcomes in order to contribute to the discussion of the potential role of the agencies in the DG TREN future energy policy implementation. They will also pave the way for thematic seminars in order to further develop the existing outcomes and to identify potential solutions (good practice) worth replicating elsewhere in Europe. Also, the workshops will contribute to the visibility of the added-value of the European energy management agencies in responding to the energy policy challenges at local and regional level. The conference workshops will deal with the development of the successor programme for SAVE and ALTENER, energy efficiency in transport, combined heat and power, use of renewable energy at local level, energy efficiency and renewable in buildings and the CIVITAS initiative.
Discussion and commitment on future strategy and ways of co-operation between the energy management agencies and the kind of support they might need in order to reinforce the implementation of Community energy policies at local and regional level (panel). Furthermore, the conference participants will be able to focus on the future role of the European local and regional energy management agencies in the successor programme(s) for SAVE and ALTENER.