Vice-President Šefčovič engages in second Energy Union Tour in Belgium

On Monday 25 September, Vice-President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič will engage in the second part of the Energy Union Tour to Belgium, this time with a special focus on cities. Vice-President Šefčovič will meet Federal Minister for Energy, the Environment and Sustainable Development Marie-Christine Marghem, Mayor of Tournai and Minister-President of the French-speaking Community Rudi Demotte, Mayor of Kortrijk Vincent Van Quickenborne, and other local politicians and business representatives. In their discussions, they will focus on Belgium’s new Energy Pact, which will track Belgium’s ongoing transition to clean energy, as well as the National Energy and Climate Plan that will show how the country is meeting the Energy Union‘s goals. They will also discuss the importance of adequate investments, including at the local level. Ahead of his visit, Vice-President Šefčovič said: “I congratulate the towns of Tournai and Kortrijk for setting good examples of clean energy cooperation at a regional level. They are also both aiming to become Smart Cities that make full use of digital tools to serve their residents. In addition, they are active members of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, which is demonstrating how much can be achieved at a local level in the fight against climate change. The European Commission is a major supporter of this initiative, and we are also providing funding to help cities in their clean energy transition, such as the European structural and investment funds. The contributions of Tournai and Kortrijk will be crucial in helping Belgium achieve its 2030 climate and energy targets, especially in energy efficiency”. Upcoming dates and more information on the 2017 Energy Union tour are available here. More information on the Energy Union is available here.