The S3P-Energy is a joint initiative of the Directorates-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), Energy (DG ENER), and the Joint Research Centre (JRC). The European smart specialisation platform on energy was launched on 26 May by the European Commission, to support regions and Member States in using Cohesion Policy funding more effectively for promoting sustainable energy. The platform will help regions to coordinate, rationalise and plan their respective energy strategies, develop a shared vision on knowledge-based energy policy development, and set up a strategic agenda of collaborative work.
The main objective of the S3P-Energy is to support the optimal and effective uptake of the Cohesion Policy funds for energy, and to better align energy innovation activities at national, local and regional level through the identification of the technologies and innovative solutions that support in the most cost-effective way the EU energy policy priorities. By supporting the optimal use of Cohesion Policy funds for sustainable energy projects, the platform will directly contribute to the European Energy Union Strategy. The platform, which has been set up by the JRC, will contribute to boosting economic growth in the regions by ensuring sustainable, competitive and secure energy supply.
The EU plans to invest about EUR 38 billion in the period 2014-2020 in the framework of its Cohesion Policy including EUR 2 billion for investments in smart grids. The objective is to facilitate the shift towards a low-carbon economy by supporting projects in energy efficiency, renewables as well as in sustainable urban mobility and research and innovation.
Commissioner Tibor Navracsics, in charge of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, and responsible for the JRC, said: "Building a true Energy Union will require a solid scientific basis, and I am pleased that the Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre, plays a vital role in ensuring this. The Smart Specialisation Platform combines scientific expertise and innovative networking tools. It will help regions to access information and to exchange ideas and best practices - generating new expertise and turning them into building blocks of the Energy Union."
Commissioner Corina Creţu, European Commissioner for Regional Policy commented: "For 2014-2020, more than EUR 38 billion of Cohesion Policy funding will be invested in achieving the Energy Union Strategy and boosting the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors. This represents more than a doubling of funding compared to the previous period. Cohesion Policy funding offers many opportunities, but it also poses important challenges for the regions in terms of implementing EU co-funded energy projects. That is why I welcome the new platform on energy which will pool joint know-how on sustainable energy and will help regions in making efficient use of the funding available to invest in innovative solutions."
For more information:
http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/home