"The new multiannual budget must provide sufficient resources to support the wider energy transition and to strengthen energy security at the regional and local levels. Cities urgently need direct, dedicated funds. This is extremely important – I want to strongly call for that change! I think this is the right place and time to say loud and clear: the majority of European local and regional authorities are not able to carry out the energy transition from their own resources and with the current legal solutions,” Hanna Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź and Committee of the Regions (CoR) rapporteur on the Affordable Energy Action Plan made these remarks, during a cross-commission debate at the ENVE Commission meeting.
Zdanowska pointed to recent events, noting: “Last week's blackout showed that the EU's energy systems are still not ready for today's challenges. It also reminded us that the effects of national or cross-border crises usually affect local governments and their citizens first. We therefore have a strong mandate to be equal partners with national and EU authorities in planning and implementing solutions. I call for increased cooperation between all levels of public administration to ensure the EU delivers a just energy transition, affordable energy prices, and economic competitiveness.”
On energy poverty, Zdanowska highlighted: “According to the European Commission, EUR 2.5 trillion could be saved on energy bills by 2040 through the implementation of the Affordable Energy Action Plan. We need to protect the 47 million Europeans who today suffer from energy poverty. In my opinion, we must also propose good solutions for our companies, which today pay two to three times more for energy than their competitors in the US and China. This situation is unacceptable and leads to the elimination—rather than the creation—of jobs.”
William Elofsson, CoR rapporteur on the Clean Industrial Deal, echoed these concerns: “The draft report on the Clean Industrial Deal emphasizes the urgent need to strengthen the role of local and regional authorities in the energy transition—by expanding supply, addressing grid limitations, and promoting technology neutrality. It also calls for smarter permitting and greater resilience in energy systems to ensure a just and effective decarbonization process.”
Kostas Bakoyannis, Chair of the ENVE Commission and opposition leader in Athens, concluded: “The work of our Commission during the previous mandate showed how decarbonisation is crucial to address these three issues. As local and regional authorities, we have consistently stressed that ‘unlocking competitiveness’ can only be achieved through strengthened cooperation at the local level and a predictable, long-term strategy.”
