10 Croatian islands get EU funds for energy transition

ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) – A total of 26 European islands on Monday officially launched their clean energy transition with the support of the European Commission’s Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat, created to help islanders and the European Commission in creating and implementing policies for EU islands.

In the first phase, 6 islands — the Aran Islands (Ireland), the Cres-Lošinj archipelago (Croatia), Sifnos (Greece), Culatra (Portugal), Salina (Italy) and La Palma (Spain) — will develop and publish their clean energy transition agendas by summer 2019. The other 20 islands will do so by summer 2020.

Croatian islands that recevied funding are seven islands of the Cres-Losinj archipelago — Cres, Losinj, Unije, Ilovik, Susak, Vele Srakane, Male Srakane — as well as the islands of Brac, Hvar and Korcula.

Croatian MEP Tonino Picula said: “Islands are becoming more and more visible on the European agenda. The support for 26 islands throughout the Union is an important step in making island communities the torchbearers of clean energy transition. This is a first, but important, step in securing permanent EU assistance to islands. Congratulations to everyone!”

The 26 islands were selected based on their potential for establishing a high-quality transition process with the support of the Secretariat. In order to serve as inspiring examples for as many European islands as possible over the coming years, special attention was paid to including islands covering a broad variety of geographic and contextual conditions.