A seminar on sustainable energy development at a regional level has been held to foster an exchange of experiences and views between the regional authorities of Europe’s maritime periphery on a number of political and administrative issues.

The seminar was organised in Croatia by the EU’s Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR). Malta was represented by Giovanna Debono, Minister for Gozo.

Mrs Debono addressed the seminar on the second day, saying that Gozo shared similar challenges with other island regions but in addition it had the added challenge of double insularity. She said that Gozo was totally dependent on mainland Malta for its energy supply and was well connected to it.

She said that a sustainable energy policy for Europe was important, as it not only ensured a secure and environmentally-sound energy supply, but also aimed to reduce dependence on imported energy and sought to replace it by locally-available renewable energy sources. Initiatives to reduce energy demand coupled with investment in clean and more eco-efficient technology also contributed to this objective, as well as to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The EU, she said, should take a flexible approach to the issue of renewable energy – an approach which takes due account of the specificities and realities of island regions, especially when setting benchmarks and targets, and emphasised the need for CPMR to continue to foster the exchange of experiences and best practice as this enabled regions to learn from each other.

The CPMR was set up in 1973 comprising around 30 regions. Today, more than 150 regions from 26 countries, representing more than 170 million people, make up the CPMR. It is divided in six geographical commissions including the Islands’ Commission and the Inter-Mediterranean Commission, of which Gozo is an active member.