In the Spring semester of the European semester, the European Commission recognized the value of the energy transition of European islands in 2019, in line with the Clean Energy for the EU islands, ie the Energy Transition Program of the Island Secretariat, whose fouder was also Croatian MEP Tonino Picula.
In the text of the Spring semester of the European Semester of 2019, it is specifically stated that "there is a great potential for investing in wind and solar energy and energy from renewable sources for heating and cooling. Promoting such investments could increase the energy self-sustainability of Croatian islands, in line with the "Clean Energy Initiative for the European Union islands".
"I was very pleased to receive the news of further affirmation and support for the European transition of the island policy, which was announced today by the European Commission. It is a confirmation that the EU has room for completely new initiatives and programs to raise the quality of life of EU citizens", said Picula, who will start the third term in the European Parliament at the beginning of July. He stressed that such clear support to the program, as expressed by the Commission, would be an additional argument to increase the EC's Secretariat's budget to more than one hundred million euros during the next budget period, as one of the topics of its new mandate work that the EP has already begun negotiations with the European Commission.
Among the recommendations from the Spring Semester of the European semester of 2019, the focus of investment policy on research and innovation, sustainable urban and rail transport, energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and environmental infrastructure is clearly highlighted, taking into account the regional differences and increasing the capacity of the competent bodies to produce and the implementation of public projects and policies, which Picula has often emphasized in recent criticisms of the current capacity of Croatian institutions to do this demanding job. Picula, with his colleagues in the EP, initiated the adoption of the Resolution on the special situation of islands, which shows that the European Parliament recognized the need to adopt special policies relating islanders.
Following the initiation and establishment of the Intergroufor the islands in the EP - the first official EU body for islands, through lobbying and multi-annual work on the subject, Picula initiated the establishment of the Secretariat for islands of the European Commission and, with its proposed action plan and amendment on the European budget, support to the energy transition of Croatian and European islands. The islands have become a permanent part of the European Union's policy.
Ten Croatian islands, out of a total of fifty that are populated, participate in pilot projects of energy transition, announced by the Secretariat for islands of the European Commission, which makes Croatia the most successful member of the EU in this competition. Cres, Ilovik, Lošinj, Male Srakane, Susak, Unije, Vele Srakane, Brač, Hvar and Korčula have the chance to prepare for the use of renewable energy sources, which will help them to preserve the environment and to raise the quality of life.
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