The EU aims to be climate-neutral by 2050. Collaboration and innovation in the energy research sector are key to reach a successful clean energy transition. In particular, a pan-European effort is required to ensure strong acceptance and commitment to reach the decarbonisation objective by 2050.
The "Pan-European Clean Energy Transition: ways to strengthen transnational cooperation" workshop, jointly organised by the Implementation Working Group Deep Geothermal Support Unit, SUPEERA and EERA aisbl, aimed at giving the representatives of the EU13 countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia) and Greece and Portugal, the opportunity to learn more about the initiatives favoring their countries' institutions as well as further cooperation opportunities in the EU.
The webinar, which took place on January, 19, 2022, highlighted the importance of the SET Plan and the CET, the crucial role of all European countries' involvement, and the need to align national and regional strategies with the European plans for a carbon-free society.
The event kickstarted by presenting the current involvement of the EU13 countries in the SET Plan and the CET. Three aspects were highlighted:
- EU13 countries possess, use, and continue to develop renewable energy sources (PV, wind, ocean, geothermal, hydro) according to the regional possibilities.
- The representativity of EU13 countries in the SET Plan communities is very low, which prevents them from actively influencing its course.
- Only about 5% of the H2020 funds were allocated to EU13 countries.
To conclude, the webinar focused on cooperation and networking opportunities that facilitate participation in European consortia and winning projects and enable exchange between organisations on administrative issues. Specifically, the EIRIE platform was introduced to the participants, while the benefits of participating in the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) were highlighted.
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