Energy Agency of Plovdiv, Association of Bulgarian Energy Agencies and European Commission’s Program Intelligent Energy Europe in the frames of initiative ManagEnergy organise Capacity Building Workshop on Financing Sustainable Energy Action Plans: Energy and CO₂ Emissions Savings in Public Buildings, which will take place in Plovdiv at the International Fair Conference Centre on 24 September 2010.

More information on the ManagEnergy Initiative, including the series of 20 capacity building workshops being held across Europe, can be found at http://www.managenergy.net/events_me.html.

This ManagEnergy Workshop will focus on the financing of sustainable energy and CO₂ reductions in public buildings, including both energy efficiency and heating system conversion projects. This workshop seeks to build and improve the capacities of the municipal staff in sphere of energy management and preparation of municipal projects for funding from european programs.  

Topics will include:

- Structural & Cohesion Funds: Making the Most out of SC Funds for Sustainable Energy Projects in the Public Building Sector.

- Integrating Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects in the Renovation of Public Buildings.

- Attracting Private Sector Financing for Municipal Building and Heating Projects.

- Good practice sharing from other New Member States in the financing of public building and heating projects.

Key speakers will be representatives of the European Investment Bank, the Bulgarian Ministry of the Regional Development and Welfare, the SF Energy Invest – Intelligent Energy Europe Programme and bulgarian funding structures.

In the seminar represenatives from bulgarian municipalities signed the Covenant of Mayors and BioRegions project, local energy agecies will take part.

Program of the seminar.

The Hotel Fantasia meeting room in Haskovo, Bulgaria, was packed with about 200 forestry administrators and municipal representatives on March 19 for a technical seminar titled пїЅUtilization of Wood Biomass.пїЅ The seminar was organized by The Energy Utliization Biomass Association (EUBA), the Bulgarian State Forestry Agency, Erato Holding AD, and the Kurdjali Regional Forestry Administration.

In a ceremony to promote the Covenant of Mayors, an ambitious initiative of the European Commission to involve cities and citizens in achieving the objectives of the EU’s sustainable energy policy, representatives of three organizations gathered in Varna, Bulgaria, on March 25, 2009, to sign an agreement on the Covenant’s Bulgarian supporting structure.

The signing organizations were: the Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities (UBBSLA), the Black Sea Regional Agency for Energy Management (BSRAEM), and the Directorate General of Energy and Transport of the European Commission. The ceremony took place at the Varna City Hall.

A special guest attending the signing ceremony was Pedro Ballesteros Torres, representing the European Commission. Upon signing the agreement, he said, “While the Covenant of Mayors is not a financial institution, the EC conducts negotiations with international banks to provide preferential loans to cities included in the European network for energy efficiency. We will assist you in obtaining funds and, more importantly, in your commitment to addressing the problems associated with global warming.”

UBBSLA, in forming a supporting structure with BSRAEM, assumes the following commitments:

• Promotion of the Covenant among municipalities and providing support and coordination in the application process;

• Provision of expert assistance in the elaboration of cities’ action plans for introducing sustainable energy;

• Determining the scope and methodology for assessing, monitoring ad inspection reports on the implementation of plans; and

• Technical assistance for the organization of public events -- Days of Energy -- in order to raise public interest in the Covenant.

The mayors of Burgas, Varna, Dobrich, Lom and Turgovishte signed the Covenant of Mayors in Brussels on February 10, joining such other European cities as London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Vienna and Zurich. Forming the supporting structure is the next step in encouraging other Bulgarian municipalities to sign the Covenant.

Kiril Yordanov, Mayor of Varna, proposed that his city be the coordinator between the European Commission and the municipalities of the Black Sea Euro-region of efforts to encourage more towns and cities to join the Covenant and, ultimately, increase energy efficiency and environmental protection. 

Under the umbrella of the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign, the European Commission's DG Tren, the European Institutions and major stakeholders concerned with sustainable energy are together putting on the third edition of the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW). It will take place in Brussels, Belgium, and in other cities across Europe from Monday 9 to Friday 13 February 2009.

In Bulgaria the Association of Bulgarian Energy Agencies is organizing a press conference for the launching of the Bulgarian RE League.

For more information click here.

 Energy Agency of Plovdiv will participate  in the session "Working with municipalities in the framework of the Covenant of Mayors" of the Open Days "European Week of Regions and Cities'' 6-9 October 2008 in Brussels co-organised by the Committee of the Regions and  the European Commission.

For more information click here