FEDARENE Reacts to SOTEU: Regional and Local Energy Agencies are Key to Europe’s Competitiveness, Security and Independence

Yesterday, President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her 2025 State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. In her speech, the President of the European Commission presented the EU’s priorities for the year ahead. 

FEDARENE Member Energy Agencies and Regions welcome President von der Leyen’s strong embrace of the energy and climate transitions as a key vector for the EU’s independence, security and competitiveness, while raising concerns on the Union’s effort to prepare for climate risks. We stand ready to work with the European Commission to ensure these priorities translate into tangible progress across Europe’s regions. 

A Competitive Europe is a decarbonised Europe 

President von der Leyen underlined that Europe’s competitiveness will come from the decarbonisation of its economy. This has been evident for regional and local energy agencies who have been supporting companies of all sizes and across sectors to implement RES and energy efficiency projects to reduce energy costs, increase productivity, trigger local innovation and business development while pushing regions and companies towards climate neutrality. 

The Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act (IDAA) and the Clean Industrial Deal (CID) can only succeed if they integrate a strong territorial dimension where municipalities, regions and their supporters blend business development and sustainable energy investments in their spatial planning and permitting practices. Energy agencies as independent market facilitators already help companies decarbonise, connect clean technologies with industries, and integrate efficiency into production strategies. Their role must be formally recognised and supported in the EU’s competitiveness framework. 

Energy sovereignty and climate resilience as foundations for Europe’s security 

President von der Leyen has rightly identified clean, homegrown renewable energy sources as the key vector to our independent future. However, to achieve its objective of energy independence, the EU must embrace a holistic approach to energy and climate security, recognising the full scope of the challenge ahead: more flexible and modern grid infrastructure, climate proofing of buildings and infrastructure, greater deployment of renewable energy, a decarbonised heating and cooling systems, and more energy-efficient buildings and factories adapted to the needs of both climate and energy are all battlegrounds in Europe’s fight for its energy sovereignty. Local and regional energy agencies are ideally positioned to deliver place-based expert advise and support their territories in their future proofing.  

While we share the concern on climate resilience expressed by President von der Leyen and welcome the mention of nature-based solutions and the announcement of a European new fire-fighter hub, we also call for a more systemic approach to climate action with a stronger focus on transformative measures. More efforts must be directed towards building a climate-proofed society and integrating this mindset in all sectors, including on financing.  

Keeping our legal frameworks stable and ambitious 

We must be wary of the temptation of simplification for the sake of simplification. The clean transition requires a strong and stable framework in order to attract the necessary investments and, thus, succeed. While we welcome President von der Leyen’s call for a simpler and more affordable housing sector in Europe, this must not come at the expense of our energy efficiency and climate ambitions. Simplification cannot mean lowering our standards for climate adaptation. 

The EU must continue to build on the achievements of the Green Deal such as the EBPD, not dilute them when faced with adversity. The best way to reconcile affordability with ambition is to strengthen the actors on the ground, such as One-Stop Shops, who advise households, accompany citizens and deliver the quality renovations Europe urgently needs. 

Energy Agencies as Key Delivery Agents  

Regional and Local Energy agencies have already proven to be indispensable partners in implementing the EU Green Deal locally and effectively. They provide regions, cities, companies and citizens with the expertise needed to make the transition a reality, and they have a proven record of turning EU priorities into concrete results. 

Energy agencies connect clean technologies with industries, unlock private and public investment, integrate efficiency into industrial processes, and aggregate the demand of local and regional authorities to achieve scale. If Europe wants to deliver on the ambitions set out in the 2025 SOTEU, their role must be recognised, reinforced and embedded into the design and governance of the EU’s funding and legislative frameworks.