The EU-funded CES-MED project, promoting clean and energy saving cities, held its seventh Steering Committee Meeting (PSC) on 21- 22 February  in the Moroccan city of Agadir, bringing together representatives of the European Commission, the project’s National Focal Points of the eight beneficiary countries, eight mayors, and many other project stakeholders.

The CES-MED team gave several presentations covering:  the project progress and work plans for the last period; funding opportunities; applied methodology to change from Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAP) to Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAP); collaboration with the European Joint Research Centre (JRC); gender equality within CES-MED; awareness actions and use of training tools; in addition to an overview of the post COP22 actions and the development of SEAP/SECAP Support Mechanisms.

Through two special debate sessions, participants engaged in constructive discussions, expressing their future needs, the importance of sustaining the CES-MED actions, building of a momentum reached through of the SEAP/SECAP preparation actions and towards the tangible implementation of priority projects. 

Ms. Maya Aherdan, Director of the Department for Observation, Cooperation and Communication at the Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment (MoEMWE) and CES-MED’s National Focal Point, emphasised the importance of the project’s actions and the meeting, noting its crucial timing, as steps are being taken to consolidate and move ahead with the National Energy Transition in Morocco.

Mr. Maxime La Tella, Programme Manager for Energy and Infrastructure, representing the Delegation of the European Union to the Kingdom of Morocco noted the importance of partnership with the EU, namely regarding Sustainable Energy and Energy Efficiency.

Mr. Benito Marin-Herrero, Programme Manager, EU DG Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), pointed out to some EU initiatives, commitments and priorities given to climate change such as promoting political dialogue, through the Union for Mediterranean (UFM) and the Covenant of Mayors (COM), providing technical assistance via bilateral and regional projects, and support to promote investments in partner countries. 

The “Cleaner and Energy Saving Mediterranean Cities” (CES-MED) project is an EU-funded regional initiative set up to provide training and technical assistance support to local and national authorities in the southern Mediterranean region, with a view to helping them respond more actively to sustainable policy challenges.

CES-MED ensures that the actions proposed match with the objectives of the Covenant of Mayors: to reach and even go beyond the European objective to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% thanks to the improvement of energy efficiency and the increased use of sustainable energy. 

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Press release

CES-MED project – website