More information: www.rescoop.eu
Press release Brussels, 17th of March 2011
Foundation of
This week the annual European fair of the Wind energy sector (EWEA) is held in Brussels´ exposition centre. More than 10,000 participants prove that Wind energy is currently considered THE most relevant alternative for fossil or nuclear power. However, realizing new wind energy projects remains a difficult and slow process, especially in the planning permission phase. Europe´s citizens use lots of energy, they want it to come from sustainable sources but at the same time they resist sustainable energy projects. In various projects all over Europe, it has been proven that this dilemma, wanting sustainable energy but resisting actual projects, is best addressed by involving citizens that live near, giving them a say and a stake..
There are now hundreds of these renewable energy projects in Europe, where groups of citizens participate. Sometimes it is a small group of people that for instance together fit a PV roof on their sportsclub, but there are also cooperatives with tens of thousands of members, such as Ecopower in Belgium or Greenpeace Energy in Germany. There is even a cooperative that exploits an offshore wind farm in Denmark. For over a century already, energy cooperatives have been functioning in Southern Tirol but in the last years many new cooperatives have been formed.
Three years ago, a group of these cooperatives started collaborating informally on a European level – these meetings were a success as they have proven useful for the participants. Practical experience was shared and there was even international help for project financing.
This collaboration will now be formalized. On March 17, 2011 Rescoop.eu will be founded, the European Federation for associations and cooperatives involved in sustainable energy.
Rescoop.eu wants to do more than exchanging information between members that are already active in sustainable energy cooperatives. It aims to motivate new groups of citizens to develop sustainable energy initiatives, for that it will develop the RESCOOP.eu toolbox. That toolbox will be an up to date manual for setting up sustainable energy projects, with practical cases, checklists, warnings for the typical pitfalls and even contact addresses. With this toolbox the success rate of such projects will not only be improved, it will also speed up such projects.
The charter of this new federation is based on the 7 principles of the International Cooperative Movement (ICA), proven effective in this , and in many other fields. CoopsEurope , the federation of European cooperations, is a partner of the new federation.
The day-to-day coordination of RESCOOP.eu is handled by the Belgian renewable energy cooperative Ecopower.
Founders:
Belgium: the members of the Belgian federation of groups and cooperatives of citizens for renewable energy: REScoop.be, www.rescoop.be
- Courant d’air scrl, °2010 , www.courantdair.be
- Citipar scrl, www.citipar.be
France:
Luxemburg: - Eida sa, www.eida.lu
Netherlands :
- ODE-Nederland, the Dutch federation of groups and cooperatives of citizens for renewable energy: www.duurzameenergie.org
- Coöperatieve Vereniging Onze Energie, Amsterdam-Noord
- Zeeuwind, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen
- Westfriese Wind Coöperatie, West Friesland, Andijk, Hoorn en omgeving
- Waterland
- U-Wind, Houten, Utrecht en omgeving.
- Noordenwind, groot deel van NO-Nederland
- Meerwind, Haarlemmermeer
- Kennemerwind, Alkmaar, Camperduin.
- De Windvogel, Gouda en (verre) omstreken
- Deltawind, Goeree Overflakkee
- De Eendragt, Den Helder en omgeving
- Zaanse Energie Koöperatie, Zaanstreek
- Texel Energie, Texel
- Italy:
- Avanzi, sustainable research center, www.avanzi.org
- Spain:
- SOM Energia, °2010, 540 members, www.somenergia.cat
- Enercoop, 14.000 members, http://www.enercoop.es
Ireland: Waterford Renewable Energy Co-Operative Society Limited, °2007, www.wrecoop.ie (to be confirmed by the Board of Directors)
Rescoop.eu has also contacts in Germany, Ireland, Denmark, the UK, Portugal and Bulgary
Persmededeling Brussel, 17/03/2011
Oprichting
In de week van 14/03/2011 vindt de jaarlijkse beurs voor de windenergiesector in Europa (EWEA) plaats aan de Heizel. Meer dan 10.000 deelnemers bewijzen dat windenergie HET actuele alternatief is voor fossiele en nucleaire brandstoffen. Helaas blijkt dat windenergieprojecten op vele hindernissen stuiten, vooral rond het verstrekken van vergunningen. De burger wil energie, liefst herbruikbare, maar verzet zich tegen de projecten. In heel Europa blijkt dat dit dilemma het best doorbroken wordt door actieve betrokkenheid van omwonenden in coöperatieve energieprojecten.
Op honderden plaatsen in Europa vinden we nu dan ook groepen burgers die deelnemen in zulke hernieuwbare-energiecoöperaties. Soms gaat het om een handvol mensen die samen een pv-dak installeren op een sportkantine, maar er zijn ook coöperaties met tienduizenden leden - zoals Ecopower in Vlaanderen of Greenpeace Energy in Duitsland. Er is zelfs een coöperatie die een offshore windpark in Denemarken exploiteert. Energiegenossenschaften in Zuid-Tirol zijn al een eeuw succesvol en bovendien: de laatste jaren komen er veel nieuwe coöperaties bij.
Een groep van deze coöperaties houdt al sinds drie jaar Europees contact, dat blijkt vruchtbaar en nuttig. Ervaring wordt uitgewisseld en er was ook bijvoorbeeld internatonale hulp bij projectfinanciering.
Nu is besloten om deze samenwerking te formaliseren.
Op 17/03/2011 werd in Brussel REScoop.eu opgericht, de Europese federatie van groepen en coöperaties van burgers voor hernieuwbare energie.
Deze federatie wil meer bereiken dan het uitwisselen van informatie tussen leden die al actief zijn in hernieuwbare-energiecoöperaties. De federatie wil vooral nieuwe initiatieven bevorderen, in het bijzonder door hen te helpen met een toolbox voor het succesvol opzetten van zulke projecten.
Het charter van deze nieuwe federatie bouwt op de 7 coöperatieve principes van de in dit veld (maar ook op vele andere gebieden) wereldwijd bewezen coöperatieve beweging, de ICA (International Cooperative Alliance). Er wordt dan ook samengewerkt met CoopsEurope, de koepel van Europese coöperaties.
De coördinatie van REScoop.eu wordt opgenomen door de groene stroomcoöperatie Ecopower uit Vlaanderen.
Contact: Dirk Vansintjan, 0032 486 39 22 12, Dit e-mailadres wordt beschermd tegen spambots. JavaScript moet zijn geactiveerd om het te bekijken. , voorzitter van REScoop.eu
http://www.japsentertainment.com/RC/ (website REScoop.eu in opbouw)
Coöperatieve beweging: www.ica.coop, www.coopseurope.coop.
REScoop.eu
groups associations and cooperatives of citizens for renewable energy from Europe.
Come to our first annual meeting in Brussels on 17/03/2011
Agenda of the
First official annual meeting of the European Federation of associations and cooperatives of citizens for renewable energy, RESCOOP.eu 2011:
date: Thursday 17/03/2011 in Brussels, 10 – 19 h.
1. Official decision to establish the federation
a. Charter of the federation: final discussion and vote on the English text (see website)
b. Membership: open to associations and cooperatives of citizens who sign the Charter
c. Name of the federation: RESCOOP.eu (renewable energy sources cooperatives)
d. Address : Cooperative House, Milcampslaan 105, B-1020 BRUSSEL?
e. President, secretary, treasurer: candidates?
f. Legal statutes: to be written, Belgian non-profit organization?
2. Work program 2011-2012
3. Finance, personnel, …
4. IEE project proposal 2010 and 2011
5. Varia
Adress:
Greenpeace Belgium
Haachtsesteenweg, 159
1030 Brussel
T. 02.274.02.00
F. 02.274.02.30
.
Energy Coops Seminar 30 April 09
Representatives of the EU Institutions - European Parliament, European Economic and Social Committee, Commission DG Energy & Transport and the Executive Agency for Competitiveness & Innovation - signaled to the Cooperatives Europe Energy Seminar (30 April 09) that they are ready and willing to listen to the voice of co-operative enterprises that are engaged in the energy sector. They will consider their representations in the development of the EU energy policy discussions.
Co-operative enterprises from across Europe presented best practice cases of co-operatives delivering solutions in the fields of energy production - hydroelectric, solar and biomass- energy efficiency, the rational use of energy, building/housing management and training projects that all displayed the added value that the co-operative model of enterprise brings to the energy sector. The co-operative difference is that they are ’values’ driven businesses that are ethical and not speculative, and are based locally in living communities.
Cooperatives Europe, in association with Ecopower, will be further developing its database of co-operatives active in the energy sector and will be promoting a networking model that will assist local coops to meet the needs of EU citizens whilst offering ’business to business’ (B2B) opportunities for those enterprises taking part.
As another tool to assist in achieving its objectives for sustainable development, Cooperatives Europe launched its campaign for co-operatives to make progress in addressing the climate threat. The campaign will focus on measuring and reducing the CO2 we create; informing and motivating our members and participating in like European and global campaigns.
Rainer Schlüter, Director of Cooperatives Europe commented, "Cooperatives may at present be an unknown part of the energy debate but it is clear that we have a contribution to make and have the potential for our own European initiatives. Co-operatives can play a key role in the future EU energy strategy"
See the presentations of the seminar:
http://www.coopseurope.coop/spip.php?article701
