Within the framework of the Scale Up initiative of the European Commission (DG Regio) and the EIB Advisory Unit, the third thematic meeting of the working group was held in Brussels. Since April 2024, a working group has been established, including representatives of 20 Member States implementing financial instruments (FIs) for energy efficiency (EE), with the aim of exchanging good practices and promoting more active implementation of FIs for EE. Iva Petkova is part of the group as a representative of Fund FLAG and the funds implementing FIs for urban development.
The focus of the meeting on 24 and 25 September in Brussels was on the possibilities for combining a grant and a financial instrument in a single operation, the applicable state aid rules and the financing of energy efficiency of public buildings. The results achieved by FLAG and the financed energy efficiency projects of public authorities through the Bulgarian Investment Platform and the Urban Development Funds were presented. Special emphasis was placed on the FLAG-FICET financial instrument under the LIFE programme and the possibilities for providing free technical assistance for the preparation of clean energy transition projects to public authorities.
The limitations associated with the wider implementation of energy efficiency financial instruments in Bulgaria are related to the ongoing schemes with 100% grant support with national or European funds, as well as the lack of clear and long-term mechanisms for financing energy efficiency projects so necessary to achieve the ambitious EU goals. The experience gained from FLAG and the Urban Development Funds shows that there are opportunities for sustainable financing of such projects, ensuring integrated implementation tailored to the needs of borrowers.
