Non-governmental organizations have submitted more than 16,000 signatures for a cleaner energy of the future in Tirana
(Tirana, Albania, October, 16th, 2015.) A group of non-governmental organizations from South Eastern Europe submitted more than 16,000 signatures to Miguel Arias Caneteu, EU Commissioner for Energy and Climate Change and co-chair of the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community today during the meeting of this body in Tirana, Albania. Regional petition was based on three requirements: to increase energy efficiency in households, the elimination of corruption in the energy sector and the adoption of EU objectives related to climate change. The petition was signed by 16.230 citizens from countries of South-Eastern Europe [1] which are members of the Energy Community.
The petition was delivered on the day when the Ministerial Council approved the Road map about the future of the Energy Community. The Road map includes plans for the adoption of additional legislation related to the environment and public procurement, and improving of control of state aid. These measures are crucial for the elimination of low environmental standards that are part of everyday life of the citizens of the member countries of the Energy Community, as compared with those in the European Union, as well as to stop the trend of spending public money to support polluting energy sources. However, the adopted document does not reveal many details how these plans will be achieved and does not bind to the necessary strengthening of the existing mechanism of implementation of the laws of the Energy Community.
“Just within one year, air pollution in Kosovo has resulted in 835 premature deaths, 600 hospital admittance and 11,600 emergency room visits. [2] If these are results of the use of coal, is it worth it to support such projects in the future? “, asked Kushtrim Kaloshi from Kosovo civil society organization Advocacy and Training Resource Center (ATRC).
Dejan Milovac from the non-governmental organization MANS from Montenegro, where is planed to be built another unit of the thermal power plant Pljevlja with the capacity of 254 MW, highlights the importance of long-term policies. “Adopting short-sighted and irresponsible decisions leaves an irreversible mark on the lives of millions of people who live in this part of Europe. Coal does not only pollutes the air we breathe and the soil in which we grow food to feed our families. Coal also deeply corrupt and our children’s future, leaving them to cope with the consequences of tomorrow “.
While Albania ends its presidency of the Energy Community, and Bosnia and Herzegovina begins, Ermelinda Mahmutaj from the Albanian civil society organizations EDEN points out that it will be continued advocacy of requirements from the petition. “The current policies of the South Eastern Europe only superficially maintained their EU path related to energy and climate change. Therefore, we will continue with these advocacy activities, because the fulfillment of these requirements is possible if there is political will, but also with existence of a number of alternative sources of energy that our region possesses”.
Civil society organizations:
SEE Change Net (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Analytica (Macedonia **)
ATRC (Kosovo *)
SEKOR(Serbia)
CPI (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
CZZS (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
DOOR (Croatia)
EDEN (Albania)
Ekolevizja (Albania)
Eco-Conscious (Macedonia **)
Forum for Freedom in Education (Croatia)
Fractal (Serbia)
Front 21/42 (Macedonia **)
Green Home (Montenegro)
MANS (Montenegro)
WWF Adria
CEE Bankwatch
Climate Action Network Europe
