Horizon 2020 project “CEESEU”

Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, in collaboration with Tartu Regional Energy Agency, is leading the “Central and Eastern European Sustainable Energy Union” (CEESEU) project, funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 program. CEESEU is a 3-year project, ending in 2023.

In the CEESEU project, we are demonstrating the entire strategic process of the green transition for municipal governments, from preparing a climate strategy to acquiring the necessary funds, to evaluating results, by creating examples of at least 60 successful cities in the region.

The main object of CEESEU is to increase the Central and Eastern European municipal governments’ and policymakers’ capabilities of working out sustainable energy and climate action plans (SECAP) and better resilience to climate change, which are important factors in achieving the EU climate goals. Several reasons explain why Central and Eastern European municipal governments are falling behind in developing SECAPs. Some of these reasons may include little knowledge or interest towards the strategic planning process, low municipal capability or lack of access to resources, or little experience in including interest groups effectively.

Additionally, the project supports the strengthening and development of the Central and Eastern European Sustainable Energy Network (CEESEN) to further advance the goals of EU’s climate politics, increase local communities’ energy security, and resilience to climate change. The Network is becoming a successful figure in protecting the Central and Eastern European interests at the EU level, and is helping topical European associations (e.g., Covenant of Mayors) be more mindful of the unique circumstances of Central and Eastern Europe.

Project’s consortium had set the following goals for the project’s duration: 

• 650 GWh of energy savings
• Advancing the skills and capability of at least 530 municipality government workers in Central and Eastern European municipalities 
• Better alignment of national and regional development plans with SECAPs in the CEESEU region and improved national and regional sustainable energy and energy efficiency policies 
• At least 25 million euros of additional investments to sustainable energy and climate change adaptation  

Though there is still time until the project’s deadline, it is already clear that all aforementioned goals are not only met but surpassed, which speaks volumes about the commitment of the included municipalities. 

Final project results will be introduced at CEESEN’s fall conference in Budapest, Hungary, on Sept 8-9, 2023. 

Project website 
Project in ETIS 
 

Additional information: Maria Kristiina Prass, maria.prass@ut.ee