Members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) participated in the ENVE Commission study visit “Energy Transition – The Driver of the Economy” in Arnhem, held in the framework of the European New Power Summit.
The visit focused on innovation and the role of regions in delivering Europe’s energy transition while strengthening competitiveness, economic resilience and territorial cohesion.
Among the participants were EPP-CoR members Csaba Borboly and Anthony Chircop.
Speaking during the visit, Csaba Borboly, Vice-President of Harghita County stressed the importance of ensuring that rural communities are fully included in Europe’s energy transition and that the decisions currently being prepared at European level will shape the future of regions for the next decade.
“The EPP values I bring to this work are clear: nature and environment matter, and so do people and communities. A just energy transition is one where the solar panel appears not only on the rooftop of a factory, but also on the roof of the most isolated household in a remote rural valley,” Borboly said.
Borboly also highlighted the need for dedicated EU support for small-scale rural energy projects and stronger regional energy cooperatives that allow families, municipalities and small businesses to become co-owners of local energy production.
Referring to the ongoing discussions on future EU energy and funding policies, he underlined the importance of acting now: “The 2026 window is real. The next ten years depend on the decisions made this year.”
The study visit provided an opportunity for local and regional leaders to exchange views on how Europe’s green transition can be implemented in a way that benefits all territories, including remote and rural regions.