The Covenant of Mayors – Demonstration Projects (COM – DEP)
The EU Programme ‘Covenant of Mayors – Demonstration Projects’ (CoM-DeP) was developed in response to the challenges facing small municipalities of less than 200,000 residents that have signed up to the Covenant of Mayors Initiative. Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) is the key document that set out how each municipality will reach its CO2 reduction target. Many cities in the Eastern Partnership region, however, do not have the technical or financial capacity to implement these Plans. Demonstration projects show how cities can effectively turn their SEAPs into practical action.
In 2014, the EU selected 19 projects involving 22 municipalities for financing. EU grant range in size from €400,000 to €1.2 million. The total budget of the projects amounted to €18.4 million.
The selected demonstration projects focus on:
- refurbishment of public buildings
- refurbishment of residential buildings
- upgrading district heating systems
- introducing energy-efficient street lighting
- upgrading public transport
- improving energy efficiency in waste water systems
In the implementation of the projects, municipalities receive assistance from a Support Team. This support includes technical assistance, administrative and procedural support, training, networking, communication and visibility.
The programme is part of the EU’s Municipal Flagship Development Initiative, which aims to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to implement energy efficiency plans, promote local economic development and encourage financial accountability and good governance in the Eastern Partnership countries.
Download brochure with CoM DeP key facts and number
Municipalities involved receive financial, logistic and technical means to carry out sustainable energy efficiency projects that result in reduced operational costs and energy bills for municipalities and citizens, while also reducing CO₂ emissions. The Programme runs continuous trainings, webinars and one-on-one consultations with municipalities to improve capacities in energy management, project implementation, procurement, site supervision and quality control. Lessons from these demonstration projects will help other municipalities to identify possible solutions for rolling out their own SEAPs.
In a second round of funding, 14 new projects were selected with a total financing €13.8 million. Besides the thematic topics from the first phase, also several projects dealing with production of renewable energy (solar/PV) received financing. These projects started early 2018 and will run for three years.
Read more about The EU Programme ‘Covenant of Mayors – Demonstration Projects’ (CoM-DeP).