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Climate Alliance meets three Commissioners in a high level meeting on Smart Cities and Communities |
 11.07.2012 - On 10 July in Brussels, the European Commission launched the Smart Cities and Communities European Innovation Partnership (SCC) Communication, set to reinforce the EU technology policy framework across the sectors of energy, transport and information and communication technologies (ICT) in support of sustainable urban development. Within this partnership the Commission intends to constitute across the three sectors a “High level Group for Smart Cities & Communities” by bringing together up to 25 top level representatives from R&D intensive industries, cities, regulatory authorities and public financing. Therefore this High Level Group would meet on a regularly basis to jointly steer the initiative at the strategic and policy level, focusing on issues such as EU technology funding priorities, regulatory interventions, initiatives for international partnerships, etc. Joachim Lorenz, president of Climate Alliance, has also been invited to the first Smart Cities and Communities Roundtable Meeting in Brussels on 10 July to explore together with the others attendees the format and function of this High Level Group and to give his input on the “Smart Cities and Communities - European Innovative Partnership”. He highlighted the fact that priority should be given while implementing coherent actions towards a local vision and that the Commission should reinforce the link between the Covenant of Mayors and Smart Cities & Communities initiatives. As through the Covenant of Mayors more than 4,000 cities are taking the lead, are adopting an integrated approach and are investing a lot, Smart Cities should fund the actions and projects which are “innovative” and showcase the costs, payback times, different partnerships as well as replicability of those actions and projects. The Roundtable Meeting was followed by a large public stakeholder conference in the afternoon, during which the shape of the “Smart Cities & Communities” Initiative and the priorities for its pre-cursor implementing programmes in 2013 (related to the FP 7 Working Programme) was further discussed. Commissioner Oettinger mentioned once again the importance of convergence of energy, transport and ICT sectors and the need for the three of them to cooperate more than they have ever done before. Climate Alliance is also taking part in the Finance Group of the EU Smart Cities Stakeholder Platform, so that a better connection between our newly created Working Group on Financing and Smart Cities Financing Group could be ensured. Further information:
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