Basque Country and Castilla y León, Spain

Author: Katy HALL, ENNEREG Communications Officer, CPL Scientific Publishing Services Ltd, United Kingdom - Email / Alvaro PEREZ DE LABORDA, ENNEREG Pioneer Region - The Basque Country, Ente Vasco de la Energia, Spain - Email

The regional energy agency in the Basque Country (EVE) presented its experience as regional Coordinator of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) in the Intelligent Energy - Europe Info Day, held on 24 January 2012 in Brussels, Belgium. EVE shared its speech with the Muncipality of Vitoria-Gasteiz, which is the seat of the regional government of the Basque Country and has been the first city to approve the CoM in the Basque Country. As part of the ENNEREG Twinning Process, EVE is sharing the lessons learned in the ENNEREG project with EREN, the regional energy agency of the region of Castilla y León in Spain.

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Basque Country

The Autonomous Community of the Basque Country (Euskadi) is an area of 7.240 km², inhabited by a population of 2.1 million people. It consists of three provinces, Gipuzkoa, Araba and Bizkaia, and its capital is Vitoria-Gasteiz. The regional energy agency in the Basque Country (EVE) is overseeing preparation of Sustainable Energy Action Plans in the ENNEREG Pioneer Regions. EVE provides guidance and technical support to the signatory municipalities of the Covenant in the Basque Country, both for the preparation of the Plan of action on sustainable energy or municipal SEAP and its subsequent implementation. EVE's objective is to provide tailor made assistance to the municipalities working with them individually.

Vitoria-Gasteiz - European Green Capital 2012

Vitoria-Gasteiz (pictured, right), is also the European Green Capital 2012. It is the third European city to become Green Capital after Stockholm and Hamburg. On 21 October, 2010, the European Commission designated Vitoria-Gasteiz European Green Capital 2012. This award is given in recognition of the work of those cities that have demonstrated their compliance with environmental standards on a constant basis, have undertaken ambitious targets to improve the environment and attain sustainable development and can act as a model to inspire other cities and promote best practices in all other European cities.

In this way, Vitoria-Gasteiz has become a model of green action and now it has the responsibility of sharing its practices with other cities in order to contribute to the defence of the environment throughout Europe.

Find out more about Sustainable Energy Action in the Basque Country »

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Castilla y León

As part of the ENNEREG Twinning Process, EVE is sharing the lessons learned in the ENNEREG project with EREN, the regional energy agency of the region of Castilla y León in Spain. Castilla y León and the Basque Country are adjoining and they have a set of common issues to discuss on the approach taken to drive the boost towards a more sustainable energy model.

Located in the north west of Spain, Castilla y León borders on nine regions in Spain and Portugal, including the Basque Country to the east. Its location makes Castilla y León an important communication hub at the Spanish and European level in the central axis of the Continental Diagonal. This strategic location endorses the regional policy of development of infrastructures that Castilla y León is undertaking. Castilla y León is also the largest region of all the European Union.

Image: EREN Building in León - a bioclimatic and high energy efficiency building. © EREN

Castilla y León is a region traditionally known for its wide potential of coal and other traditional energy resources. The province of León and north of Palencia are two main mining areas in the country. Its important water resources have also been energetically exploited, and currently 42.312 MW are installed in 33 hydropower plants. Renewable energy sources in all its technical areas are strongly developed: hydropower, biomass, wind energy, solar thermal energy, solar photovoltaics and geothermical energy.

Find out more about Sustainable Energy Action in Castilla y León »

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Basque Country at the Intelligent Energy - Europe Info Day 2012

The regional energy agency in the Basque Country (EVE) was invited by the European Commision's Executive Agency for Competitiveness & Innovation (EACI) to present its experience as regional Coordinator of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) in the Intelligent Energy - Europe Info Day, held on 24 January 2012 in Brussels, Belgium. EVE attended representing the ENNEREG project and the Regions 202020 Network. EVE shared its speech in the Workshop "Local Energy Leadership & Local Investments" (Download presentations [4 MB]) with the Muncipality of Vitoria-Gasteiz, which is the seat of the regional government of the Basque Country and has been the first city to approve the CoM in the Basque Country.

Thirteen municipalities have so far signed the Covenant in the Basque country, undertaking the promise to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020, although only Vitoria-Gasteiz has had its SEAP approved up to now.

Further information and presentations from the IEE Info Day »