Publications on EU funds

Six environmental NGOs, having been working on the Cohesion policy regulations for several years, provide in this document a detailed analysis on the uptake and safeguards of key environmental issues throughout the negotiations between the three institutions (Parliament, Council and Commission), and recommendations to ensure that the next Cohesion Policy for 2014-2020 better contributes to Europe’s 2020 targets, creates green jobs, enhances economic opportunities and addresses environmental challenges.

“Community energy projects” are energy projects providing for direct benefits to a group of local shareholders. The opportunity for residents to develop and own green energy infrastructure or to jointly leverage untapped energy saving potential, represents a range of economic and social opportunities such as job creation, business opportunities, lowering energy bills and acceptance of sustainable energy production.

This study offers evidence and guidelines for the development of sustainable Operational Programmes in EU Member States in the waste management sector, the sector where most countries in central and eastern Europe seriously lag behind EU standards and achievements. As a policy analysis it tries to directly link the European Waste Framework Directive and the new Cohesion Policy Regulation by understanding the Resource Efficient Europe Initiative.

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.