Representatives of FLAG and the partners in the Sustainable Cities Fund took part in the three-day forum in Brussels (24-27.06.2024), organized by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, under the Olympic theme: "Carrying the torch of financial instruments". The event brought together experts from ministries, managing authorities of EU shared management funds, holding funds, bodies implementing financial instruments from the Member States, the European Commission, the European Investment Bank Group and other stakeholders. Special participation was made by the Commissioner for Cohesion Policy Elisa Ferreira and the President of the European Investment Bank Nadia Calvino, who discussed the attitudes towards the future of cohesion policy and the role of financial instruments and the EIB.
Iva Petkova, Director department at FLAG and the Fund for Sustainable Urban Development, took part in the panel dedicated to taking financial instruments for energy efficiency (EE) to the next level. From April 2024 a working group has been established, including representatives of Member States implementing EE instruments, with the aim of exchanging good practices and promoting more active implementation of EE FIs. Iva Petkova is part of the group as a representative of FLAG and the funds implementing FIs for urban development. She highlighted the fact that recently FLAG published a call for grant technical support and collection of project ideas in connection with the launch of a clean energy transition instrument FLAG-FICET with the support of the LIFE programme, including EE in public buildings. As a main challenge to the wider implementation of the FI for EE in Bulgaria, she pointed out the continued support with 100% grant funds, which crowd out financial instruments from the market without ensuring sufficient scope, result and ambition, the lack of clear synergy between European and national funding, as well as the will to impose a clear long-term strategy for renovation of the building stock. The positive thing is the unification of stakeholders in the field of EE in Bulgaria around the urgent need to create targeted mechanisms for long-term financing of EE measures in different sectors – residential buildings, SMEs, state, municipal and administrative buildings.
By emphasizing the change that financial instruments have on specific human stories, the event was also able to put a clear focus on the future strategic framework of Cohesion Policy and the many challenges it faces. The Mayor of Cluj-Napoca Emil Boc stated that improving living conditions in cities with Cohesion Policy funds gives, among other things, the "right to choose" - to stay where you were born and have the opportunities for development that other countries and regions offer.
Photos: David Plas/Fi-campus 2024
