The Association “Romanian Energy-Cities Network”of which Timisoara Municipality is also a  member, has launched a new concept entitled “THE ROMANIAN COVENANT CLUB” Signatories of Covenant of Mayors which has already been successfully implemented in Europe – France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Austria.

 

The inaugural ceremony of the MAYORS’ CLUB took place on 15^th March, 2012, within the frame of the Annual Romanian’s Cities Network Conference in Brașov, in the presence of the signatories of the Mayors’ Covenant and of the Support Structures in Romania.

 

The declared objectives of the ROMANIAN MAYORS’ CLUB are:

-       To share experience among the signatories of the Covenant of Mayors concerning
political and practical aspects;

-       To support the municipalities from Romania in their efforts to fulfil their  CoM commitments  and reach their 3x20 objectives;

-       Provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge and information between signatories and with relevant actors in climate and energy issues;

-       To develop initiatives and proposals concerning the implementation of the Mayors’ Covenant by national and European authorities;

-       To favour the synergy between the national initiatives in the field and the
Mayors’ Covenant;

-        To create a Dialogue Platform in order to deal with the issues of implementing sustainable energy concepts at local level, in co-operation with key actors in the domain.

-       Organize technical workshops, provide specialized support;

 

The foreseen results of the ROMANIAN COVENANT CLUB and of the National Dialogue Platform focus on the common legislative initiatives meant to accelerate
the measures from the Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs), on requests to introduce some specific funding lines in order to implement SEAPs and on developing local regulations which should facilitate the implementation of SEAPs.

Following his standing as a candidate in front of the Signatories of the Mayors’ Covenant, one of the three elected Ambassadors of the Romania Mayors’ Club is Mr. Gheorghe - Coriolan CIUHANDU, the Mayor of Timisoara, who will represent the image and the common vision image of the Romania Mayors’ Club in national and European Forums.

The Romanian Dialogue Platform of the Covenant of Mayors

The objectives of the Platform:

• To facilitate exchanges between local authorities representatives and actors in the field of energy and environment;
• Provide technical support for local authorities to define and implement Sustainable Energy Action Plans – SEAPs;
• Promote the Covenant initiative and disseminate information on the progress of the CoM in Romania;

The Municipality of Timisoara has been a signatory of the Covenant of Mayors since 29^th June. At that date, by the Decision nr. 228 of the Local Council of the Timisoara Municipality Timisoara Municipality Climate Strategy - Strategic Action Plan on 
fighting, mitigating and adapting on Climate Change effects was approved. In order to achieve the targets established by the EU, and based on the Baseline Emission Inventory – BEI realized at the level of Timisoara Municipality, the Strategy and the Action Plan have established a series of 91 short, medium and long term measures and actions in order to reduce the  CO₂ emissions with at least 20%  by 2010.

 

Now, Municipality of Timisoara coordinates a number of 16 local public authorities belonging to the Timisoara Growth Pole and to the Timis County, namely: Jimbolia  Town Hall, and the local authorities of the Communes of Bucovăţ, Cărpiniş, Dudeştii
Noi, Dumbrăviţa, Ghiroda, Giarmata, Giroc, Moşniţa Nouă, Orţişoara, Peciu Nou,
Pişchia, Remetea Mare, Sînandrei, Sînmihaiu Român and Şag. All of them are signatories of the Mayors’ Covenant within the CONURBANT Project, making up the
Timisoara CONURBATION. Out of the conurbation localities, a number of 13 localities have already adhered to the Mayors’ Club.

 

In order to stimulate and support the development of the initiative of the Covenant of Mayors in Romania, Romanian Energy-Cities Network is already part of „NET-COM”, the Project’s Consortium, i.e. Network Activities for the Mayors’ Covenant, financed through the Programme Intelligent Energy Europe. At the moment, the Consortium comprises 11 European partners. In order to create and disseminate a common vision within
this project and to develop similar priorities of action aimed at energetic decentralization and territorial cohesion, OER has also launched the “National
Dialogue Platform of the Covenant of Mayors in Romania.   

 

Thus, a co-operation has started between the implementation teams of the two projects funded by the programme Intelligent Energy Europe – “CONURBATION”, whose partner is the Municipality of Timisoara  and “NET-COM”, whose partner is the Romanian Energy-Cities Network. These entities will contribute, through similar and complimentary actions, to the support of local authorities so that they may fulfil their duties assumed by their signing of the Covenant of Mayors, as well as to the dissemination of the results concerning the energetic efficiency and to the shaping of those priorities at territorial level which should contribute to the implementation of sustainable energy policies.