Energy Agency Zoetermeer

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Energy Agency Zoetermeer

• Presented by
• Harry Meerwijk

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Index Presentation

• EAZ
• Keep in touch with the European Commission
• Know all about the European sides in your own
  working field
• Compare activities with European initiatives
• Find the right partner
• Start in time (examples)
• Creating a team to prepare the proposal
• Understand the deeper meaning of the European
  rules involved.
• Keep to the rules and procedures
• Take care of decision making

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Energy Agency Zoetermeer

• EAZ is a foundation
• The Board is represented by Consumers,
  Rabobank, Building corporation De Goede
  Woning, Eneco-energy, Siemens and the
  Community of Zoetermeer
• EAZ coordinates several projects.
• EAZ realizes the climate policy of the community.
  

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Keep in touch with the EC.

• Attend meetings in Brussels (My first visit to
  Brussels)
• Read newsletters (Managenergy,official European
  bulletins, etc)
• Membership of international organisation(s) (Like
  Energie-Cités)
• Get to know national Organisations advising the
  EU
• (like EG-Liaison, SenterNovem in the Netherlands)
• Get to know your national members of European
  Parliament.

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Know the European legislation, directives,
subsidies, in your own working field.

• Keep informed about all the rules from
  Brussels.(Not the most inspiring job, but it can
  be very important for the financing of projects.
  In Zoetermeer we have a regular meeting with all
  the people involved in European activities)
• Know the possibilities and periods when you can
  enter a proposal for subsidie

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Compare actual and future activities, policy and
plans with the European initiatives and funding
schemes.

• It is easier when you apply for European funding
  for actual or future
• activities then to invent a project just
  because there is a possibility for
• European funding.
• Starting the Energy Agency Zoetermeer Already
  Climate policy in Zoetermeer
• Finance There was not really a need to create a
  Dutch association of Energy Agencies.
• BELIEF The board of the energy agency is already
  a kind of energy community
• Encourage There already was a plan to make a
  sustainable business area
• RUSE The importance of working together with new
  member states was already recognised in
  Zoetermeer )

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Find the right partners and/or make friends with
these partners.

• Like in a relationship, you have to keep your
  promisesses and
• go along with each-other for quite a long time.
• AZ Tampere, Belfast, Zoetermeer
• FINANCE International partners not known, dutch
  partners had to be convinced after entering a
  proposal
• BELIEF Still has to start, but international
  workshops and meetings are foreseen abundantly
• RUSE Heart of the project is international
  sharing of knowledge and experience. Knowing the
  partners is almost essential

8
Start in time!

• Schedules of the EU are not flexible, deadlines
  are deadlines!
• EAZ Started only 2 months before the deadline
  Hectic preparations
• FINANCE No problems
• BELIEF Mails from the coordinator (example)
• RUSE More mails from the coordinator)

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Mails from the coordinator BELIEF

• Email example 1 Intermediate Financial Report
  (asking to send files)
• Email example 2 BELIEF negotiation DOCUMENTS TO
  PROVIDE URGENTLY!

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Create a team to prepare the proposal

• You just need enough time to create a proposal.
  An appropriate
• number of hours have to be planned.
• EAZ We did not plan the hours properly, so we
  had to hire an expert to help us
• FINANCE Most of the work was done by the
  coordinator. Disadvantage is that you are not
  really involved in the content of the proposal
• BELIEF Start in March 2005. Hours were planned
  to work on the proposal.
• RUSE No problems with planning of the hours)

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Understand the deeper meaning, the spirit of the
European rules involved.

• Not only the text of the rule, but also the
  deeper meaning is
• important.
• (EAZ The EU wanted to create independent local
  energy management agencies, not just a new
  municipal department.
• FINANCE The EU was overwhelmed with small
  proposals and projects. The EU wants to create
  one association of energy agencies in each
  country, so they can manage proposals and
  projects more easily.
• BELIEF The EU is trying to involve as many
  stakeholders as possible to reduce the CO2
  emission
• RUSE New and future member states are an
  important target group for the European
  Commission)

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Keep to the rules

• Dont think that you can manipulate the rules
  of the EU.
• Be obedient.
• Follow the instructions of the EU at all times
• If possible, let your proposal screen by a
  national advisor

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Dont be afraid of bureaucratic procedures

• Sometimes the forms and procedures can drive you
  crazy
• Dont give up and just continue filling in
  everything that is
• asked for!

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Take care of decision making and signatures in
time

• Often, at the last moment, the decision and the
  signature of the board or the mayor is needed.
• This always takes time. Be aware of that.

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THE END

• Thank you for your attention, are there any
  questions?