EU-CELAC Summit: EU and Uruguay boost cooperation on renewable energy, energy efficiency and renewable hydrogen

Today, the EU and Uruguay have decided to step up their cooperation in pursuing the clean energy transition. At the EU-CELAC Summit in Brussels, Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson and Uruguay’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Francisco Bustillo Bonasso signed a Memorandum of Understanding on renewable energy, energy efficiency and renewable hydrogen, in the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Luis Lacalle Pou. The Memorandum of Understanding is part of the European Union – Latin America and the Caribbean Global Gateway Investment Agenda that President von der Leyen presented yesterday at the EU-LAC Business Round Table.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said: “The EU and Uruguay share the ambition to boost the use of renewable energy sources, in line with our ambitious climate goals. We are aligned on the need for a rules-based, transparent, and undistorted global hydrogen market with reliable international standards and certification schemes to support the clean energy transition. This Memorandum of Understanding provides us with a basis to guide and intensify our work on these matters, as we both strive to reach climate neutrality by 2050.”

Renewable energy, energy efficiency and renewable hydrogen

The Memorandum signed today sets out our objectives and paves the way for a future roadmap outlining specific activities supported by the Global Gateway investment strategy. Potential areas of cooperation include the review and deepening of actions and policies for the promotion of energy efficiency as well as exchanges regarding policies on renewable energy and renewable hydrogen and its derivatives. More specifically, our cooperation on research and regulatory issues will include work on definitions, methodologies, sustainability rules, certification systems, and measures to stimulate the improvement of energy efficiency and the uptake of renewable hydrogen.

We will also work together on directing investment towards these critical areas, by providing potential investors with maximum clarity concerning financing in both the European Union and Uruguay.

This Memorandum underlines that investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and renewable hydrogen and its derivatives need to comply with the relevant environmental legislation related to marine and land sectors in both the EU and Uruguay, to ensure that we tackle in parallel both the climate and biodiversity crises. Furthermore, policies promoting energy efficiency, renewable energies and renewable hydrogen and its derivatives should duly take into account the protection, conservation, and restoration of water systems and water-related ecosystems. 

Background

The EU and Uruguay have recently started an energy dialogue that covers renewable energy, energy efficiency and renewable hydrogen, continuing the fruitful political dialogue based on the Framework Agreement for Cooperation between the EU and Uruguay signed in 1992. Both sides share the goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and recognise the key role of energy efficiency and renewable energy in achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

The European Commission coordinates the development and implementation of the EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA). The GGIA is a political commitment to work together, identifying fair green and digital investment opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean, which will benefit from the open environment generated by trade and investment agreements and will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It highlights over 130 illustrative projects across countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to leverage smart investments promoting sustainable growth in key sectors like health, renewable energy, digital connectivity, critical raw materials, research and innovation.

The GGIA will be delivered through Team Europe initiatives:  the EU, its Member States, development financing institutions including the European Investment Bank (EIB), export credit agencies and all other public sources of funding will be working together in public-private partnerships with the private sector.