Cities call on European leaders to provide an effective response to the energy crisis

The Eurocities network has published an open letter that demands the attention of this week’s European Council

The leaders of the EU Member States are gathering for a European Council summit in Brussels on 20-21 October, having been invited there by President Charles Michel for a “frank exchange” in light of the previewed hardships during the winter and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In that context, mayors from the Eurocities network, which champions the interests of municipalities across the continent, have signed and published an open letter calling on European leaders for “a bold and unified European response to the energy crisis exacerbated by the Russian aggression towards Ukraine.”

The mayors claim that the skyrocketing energy prices and inflationary pressure are now putting the provision of public services at risk.

“We have been at the forefront of the health and energy crises, taking bold steps to reorganise services, reallocate budgets, and shield the most vulnerable groups of people through targeted social measures,” reads the letter.

Five proposals from the local governments

Bearing the responsibility that mayors have to their neighbours and constituents in mind, the mayors call on the European leaders to:

1. Swiftly implement the emergency measures already agreed by EU energy ministers, and involve cities and regions in their implementation to bring down prices, helping citizens and companies
2. Direct windfall taxes on energy companies towards poverty mitigation and acceleration of the energy transition in cities
3. Ensure direct and speedy access for city authorities to EU emergency funding, and introduce a golden rule to the EU fiscal framework that does not consider long-term investments into green, digital, and social infrastructure to be debt
4. Implement targeted measures to address energy poverty and protect the most vulnerable groups from adverse impacts related to the cost of living, such as one-stop shops operated in cities, which provide a crucial lever to fight energy poverty and get people on board in the energy transition
5. Prioritise actions that drive demand reductions, thus saving energy, such as speed limits, decreased minimum temperatures and awareness-raising campaigns

"As cities, we are taking the lead in encouraging behavioural changes across different sectors such as transport, public lighting, heating and cooling, to reduce energy consumption and coordinate demand reduction efforts," write the mayors of Florence, Ghent, Leipzig and Warsaw, who represent the Eurocities network of more than 200 larger European cities.

In line with the points set out above, the mayors suggest the need for greater coordination between the different levels of government to work together to respond to the current crisis. In addition, they signal that the upcoming agreements on the Fit for 55 package and RePowerEU are key opportunities to go a step further to protect citizens, ensure the EU's strategic autonomy and accelerate a sustainable and inclusive transition to a climate-neutral EU.