Updated: December 2008

An EU initiative started in 2002 on energy for development, mainly targeting Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific. Its main achievement is the ACP-EU Energy Facility to co-finance projects that deliver energy services to the poor. The first round of projects with EU support totaling 198 mill. Euro are being implemented. See www.euei.org

Background and History
In order to respond to unmet needs for energy services, the European Union developed the Initiative for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development, was launched at the WSSD in 2002. It demonstrates the commitment of the EU Member States and European Commission (EC) to support improved access to sustainable energy services in developing countries.

The EU Energy Initiative focuses on achieving poverty eradication and sustainable development by improving access to adequate sustainable energy services in rural, peri-urban and urban areas. It will work with a menu of technical and institutional options, including:
-Rural electrification
-Enhanced energy efficiency (including cleaner, more efficient fossil fuel technologies
and more efficient use of traditional biomass)
-Decentralised energy systems
-Increased use of renewable energy (such as hydropower, biomass, solar energy, wind power, tidal, wave, or geothermal energy)
-Institutional capacity building and restructuring policy, planning and transfer of knowledge and skills.

How the Initiative is Organised
It works through a demand-led approach that involves both government-to-government liaison and local participation.
The government-to-government liaison is based around dialogue, formalization of responsibilities and action from national governments.
Local participation will be encouraged from end-users, communities, businesses and other stakeholders in both the planning and implementation stages.
The EU is taking the Initiative forward through open dialogue with partner governments at country level.

This will set the framework for EU development assistance for the coming years. How energy will be integrated into these revisions is crucial. Will energy be given higher priority? Even more important: will the energy priorities be effective in helping to reduce poverty? National discussions will be crucial for these decisions, and NGO inputs can make the difference.

Activities of the Initiative
The biggest achievement of the initiative has been the launch of the ACP Energy Facility (read INFORSE-Europe article about ACP-EU Energy Inititiative)

The initiative is working with developing countries to highlight the role of energy within their development strategies, such as National Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, and other development strategy documents.

The initiative has organised a series of conferences in African capitals on energy and sustainable development.

The initiative has organised an EUEI Partnership and Dialogue Facility, funded by a special part of the ACP Energy Facility, see here

EC and EU Member State co-operation agencies contribute financing, following the procedures and priorities established with respect to development strategies. In addition, the Initiative strives to attract a major contribution from private sources.

Read also the EUEI website: www.euei.org

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