IV Regional Forum of Rivne Region Communities and the EECU Revolving Fund for Cities Programme

The IV Regional Forum of Rivne Region Communities was held in Rivne, where Sergiy Kosharuk presented the prospects of using the EECU Revolving Fund for Cities programme. The presentation of the EECU RFC is available by this link.

The forum was attended by the heads of the authorities, the Energy Efficiency Fund, heads of local communities and heads of communities, representatives of business, energy service companies and bankers.

The forum discussed the following topics:

• innovative approaches to energy efficiency and sustainable development in Rivne region (presented by Vitaliy Koval, Head of Rivne Regional Administration);
• opportunities and achievements of communities in Rivne region (presented by Serhii Svystaliuk, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Administration);
• comprehensive support for housing and achievements in the system of heat generation and electricity production (presented by Taras Yakovlev, First Deputy Mayor of Kovel);
• achievements in the area of comprehensive thermal modernisation of the multi-apartment housing stock, 10% citizens of which already benefit from comfort and a significant reduction in the cost of payments (presented by Yaroslav Matviychuk, First Deputy Mayor of Volodymyr);
• three energy efficiency tools for Kostopil communities, one of which is a repayable financial assistance from the EECU Revolving Fund for Cities (presented by Yuriy Kozniuk, Deputy Mayor of Kostopil).

As Lviv has recently become the first regional centre to join the EECU RFC programme, Serhiy Soltys, Head of the Department of Support for Communities at Lviv City Council, presented the programme's opportunities for the Lviv territorial community.

Over the past two years, 9 territorial communities have joined the RFC and transferred funds from local budgets totalling UAH 5,630,000 to the fund. To date, 37 communities' applications for reimbursable financial assistance totalling UAH 3,885,000 have been approved. The most active user of the EECU Revolving Fund of Cities is the Kovel Territorial Community, which has already deposited UAH 2,500,000 to its account in the fund.

One of the Forum's moderators, Mykhailo Lukianyk, expressed strong belief that the experience of using the EECU Revolving Fund of Cities and the accession of the Lviv Territorial Community to the programme would encourage the Rivne city authorities to eventually introduce this effective financial instrument for Rivne communities.

The programme is administered free of charge for the Association's member communities and is carried out at the expense of EECU. Reimbursable financial assistance for recipients is also free of charge. For more information on how EECU member communities can join the Revolving Fund for Cities programme, please follow the link.