Clean energy for EU islands

There are more than 2 200 inhabited islands in the EU. Despite having access to renewable sources of energy, such as wind and wave energy, many of them depend on expensive fossil fuel imports for their energy supply.

The Clean energy for EU islands initiative, launched in 2017, provides a long-term framework to help islands generate clean energy. Its benefits include

• lower energy costs and greatly increased production of renewable energy
• construction of energy storage facilities and demand response systems, using the latest technologies
• better energy security for islands, which will be less reliant on imports
• improved air quality, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and less impact on islands' natural environments
• new jobs and business opportunities, boosting islands' economic self-sufficiency

The initiative builds on a political declaration, and a Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2020 by the Commission and 14 EU countries with large island populations: Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

In 2018, the Commission, in cooperation with the European Parliament, set up the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat to deliver the objectives of the initiative.

The secretariat acts as a platform to exchange best practices, provides dedicated capacity building and advisory services to islands and advises the Commission on policy and regulatory issues for the clean energy transition on islands.

It also supports the implementation of the cooperation structure agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding of June 2020 regarding the establishment of a long-term structure for supporting EU islands in their energy transition. The objectives of the initiative are to support islands in their transition agendas, promote the participation, engagement and empowerment of citizens, facilitate the creation of renewable energy communities and promote projects and exchange of best practices.

In its third phase, running from 2023 – 2027, the secretariat aims to provide technical support to 30 islands or groups of islands for 3 years to propel them towards the ambitious target of achieving complete energy independence through 100% renewable sources by 2030. It builds on the experience of the first (2018-2020) and second (2021-2022) phases. 

Contact the secretariat: infoeuislands [dot] eu (info[at]euislands[dot]eu).

The Clean Energy for EU Islands Forum takes place regularly since 2017.

The forum, organised together with a technical fair, provides EU islands and other EU initiatives the opportunity to share best practices and showcase innovative projects in renewable energy, energy efficiency and research and innovation.

This Horizon 2020 project, open to a community of 2 400 inhabited EU islands, aims to fund 60 successful energy transition projects, mobilising more than €100 million of investment and significantly reducing CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions by 2023. To achieve this, the project team of NESOI (New Energy Solutions Optimised for Islands) will build on the work of the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat to foster and deliver profitable clean energy projects.

The most innovative aspect of the project is the cascade funding, a simple, easily accessible funding process.

• Clean energy for EU islands - Islands Clean Energy Transition Handbook (July 2022)
• Clean energy for EU islands - Technology solutions booklet (October 2021)
• Article: EU islands and the clean energy transition (EN | FR | DE | IT | ES | PL, July 2021)
• Clean energy for EU islands (website)
• Clean energy for all Europeans package