Black Sea Euroregion and energy efficiency

AGERPRES National News Agency (Romania)

Bucharest, March 27 2009

President of Galati County Council (east) Eugen Chebac, who attends the works of the General Assembly of the ‘Black Sea Euroregion’ Association (BSER), in Varna – Bulgaria, told AGERPRES on Thursday that the second day of the assembly’s works was reserved for debates on energy issues.

Members of this forum discussed on the margin of the recent policies for energy management, as well as about the politics to promote renewable energy in the European Union (EU) and in the Black Sea region.

At the end of the Black Sea Euroregion meeting a document was adopted called ‘Position document of the Black Sea Euroregion on energy efficiency’.

‘The document took into consideration the fact that climatic change is a reality and that the utilization of energy for human activities is mainly responsible for this situation. Given that the cities produce, directly or indirectly, more than half of greenhouse gas emissions derived from energy utilization, as well as the adoption by the European Commission, on March 9, 2007 of the package ‘Energy for a changing world’, unilaterally assuming the commitment to cut Carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent throughout 2020, by boosting energy efficiency by 20 percent and through utilization of renewable energy sources in a proportion of 20 percent, we convened the adoption of this position document. It recommends to the current members, and to those to become members of the association in the future, to adhere to the objectives set by the European Commission’s package of measures for energy efficiency, to propose BSER Commission for environment, scientific research, ecology and energy efficiency the implementation of BSER strategy aimed at facilitating the implementation of this measure package, also taking into consideration or adhering to the Mayors’ Agreement, an EC initiative related to the Action Plan for Energy Efficiency’, informed Eugen Chebac.

The ‘Black Sea Euroregion’ Association was set up on September 26, 2008 in Varna, Bulgaria, following the signing of the official documents (Constitution and Statute) by the 15 founding members.

On November 26, 2008 the first General Assembly of this Euroregion was organized in Constanta (south-east).