EU budget

The renovation of buildings to high energy performance standards has the potential to be the most cost effective investment any European nation can make, given the benefits in terms of job creation, quality of life, economic stimulus and energy security that such investments deliver. For these reasons the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) is advocating for the maximum possible allocation of EU funds to the energy renovation of buildings under the recently agreed multi-annual financial framework (MFF) for 2014-2020.

Bankwatch’s competition devoted to showcasing ideas for EU funds investments that can generate sustainable development for European communities has proved to be a big success – and it should offer inspiration to EU and national level decision-makers as the task of setting operational programmes, the blueprints for how to spend the EUR 960 billion pot for the 2014-2020 budgetary period, now gets underway.

It was no surprise when the European Council summit meeting dedicated to deciding the EU’s budget for 2014-2020 broke down in Brussels on the afternoon of November 23 with no deal having been reached. The main surprises were how early on the Friday afternoon the EU’s 27 member states decided enough was enough, as well as the relative lack of rancour on display.

Bankwatch’s Better Ideas competition invited ideas for projects could be financed by EU funds and that best contribute to the sustainable development in people’s communities. These are the winning projects in each of the participating countries.