European Union / Octavian Carare
Around the Covenant Ceremony 2025 and the European Week of Regions and Cities, our Italian CoM-munity met twice to strengthen the collaboration between Italian municipalities and EU institutions.
A Delegation from Emilia Romagna Region meets with European decision-makers
On the 15th of October, a Delegation of Mayors from Emilia Romagna convened in Brussels to discuss how to locally implement EU targets and programmes on climate and energy.
The Emilia Romagna region in Italy is one of the regions in Europe with the most Covenant signatories, and it represents one of the most solid and successful examples of how a well-coordinated multi-level governance is crucial to gain a real impact on the ground. Thanks to a regional commitment and programme set up as regional Covenant coordinators, Emilia Romagna uses the Covenant framework to involve local authorities in the region, providing them with technical and financial resources and capacity building activities to develop and further implement SECAPs.
Ahead of the Covenant Annual Ceremony on October 16th, a delegation of 40 mayors – representing over 2,5 million citizens - came to Brussels for a 2-day visit. Organised and facilitated by the Agenzia per l’Energia e lo Sviluppo Sostenibile (AESS, Covenant of Mayors Supporter) and the EU Covenant of Mayors office, the visit aimed to strengthen connections between these local leaders and European decision-makers.
At the core of the conversation were how multilevel governance is crucial for the success of the Covenant of Mayors, as well as the significance of European initiatives and resources that support local authorities in their efforts to transition towards climate neutral and resilient communities.
The delegation showcased the importance of regional coordination and technical support offered by local energy agencies in driving local climate action, providing essential capacity building, technical and financial support to municipalities that are developing, implementing and monitoring SECAPs.
Emilia Romagna mayors had the chance to exchange with representatives from key European institutions: the Deputy Director and Head of Unit the Commission's directorate on Climate Action, Paolo Caridi, as well as representatives from the Directorates General on Climate Action, Energy and Employment.
Paolo Caridi, Bruno Mola, Carlo De Grandis and Irene Bonvissuto from DG CLIMA presented the most relevant European climate policies and programmes, such as the European Green Deal, the European Climate Law to make EU goals legally binding, the Fit for 55 package, and the future European Climate Adaptation Plan.
Chiara Massarotto from DG ENER highlighted the variety of European policies and opportunities for municipalities to tackle energy poverty, including the Citizens Energy Package and the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub.
Alice Giro from DG CLIMA, Silvia Simonini and Oriana Antichi from DG EMPL presented the European Social Climate Fund and showcased how it will provide funding to Member States for projects addressing the social impacts of the new carbon pricing system (ETS2).
Recurring themes throughout the discussions included the need to find simplified ways to attract private financing and the need to establish public-private partnerships to speed up and scale up the development and implementation of local measures.
The presentation of the Italian Coordination Board
The day after, the 16th of October, another meeting took place in the afternoon following the Covenant of Mayors Ceremony 2025.
Indeed, the ENEA headquarters in Brussels hosted the presentation of the National Coordination Board of the Covenant of Mayors, an initiative that consolidates the collaboration between ENEA (CoM Coordinator), ISPRA (Institute for Environmental Protection and Research), RENAEL (National Network of Local Energy Agencies), CoM Supporter, and the European Office of the Covenant of Mayors (CoMo) to meet the European targets in Italy.
The Board was created to enhance and coordinate the several Italian initiatives related to the Covenant of Mayors, promoting the convergence of European, national, and local tools, programs, and policies. The meeting, which took place in the afternoon following the EU Covenant of Mayors 2025 Ceremony, was attended by representatives of the European Commission, the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and many Italian local authorities.
The Coordination Board, operational since 2021 and soon to be formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding, facilitates the creation of a multi-level governance structure.
The Board is used to help local authorities to develop, implement and monitor their Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs).
The aim is to promote synergies between institutions, local authorities, and territorial networks, connecting programs and tools promoted at European and National level (including EU Missions, EPAH, EU Climate Pact, SECAPs, CCCs, ELENA). Through the synergy between ENEA, ISPRA, RENAEL, and the Covenant of Mayors, the boardseeks to provide technical and training support to Covenant Signatories (representing 46% of all European Signatories).
At the same time, it intends to harmonise tools and work methodologies, promoting a shared approach based on digitisation, open data, and the integration of policies for mitigation, adaptation, and combating energy poverty.
During the meeting, representatives of national and European institutions shared their insights and perspectives on the future of the Covenant of Mayors in Italy and the strategic role of the new Coordination Table.
The two meeting strengthen the Italian mayors’ engagement and coordination, amplifying the effect of their mitigation and adaptation measures and showcasing a governance model for replication in other countries and territories.
Quotes
Ilaria Bertini, Director of the Energy Efficiency Unit – ENEA:
“Networking is essential to enhance the efforts of local areas and integrate them into a shared national strategy.”
Benedetta Brighenti, President of AESS:
"The Covenant of Mayors is you, with your cities and your communities. Thank you for believing in this journey, which is not coming to an end but is actually growing stronger. As AESS, we will always be by your side in the fight against climate change."
Marco Panieri, Mayors of Imola and President of ANCI Emilia-Romagna:
"I am honoured to have led, together with De Pascale and Brighenti, this delegation. For us mayors, housing is a priority, especially for vulnerable groups. In just over a year, the PNR resources will be exhausted, so we must already start thinking about new funding opportunities to keep going with our projects and strategies. The Social Climate Fund can be an interesting opportunity to explore, together with more solid and innovative public-private-partnerships for energy and climate-related projects. "
Carlotta Bonvicini, Deputy Mayor of Reggio Emilia:
"In 2020 Reggio Emilia became one of the first Italian cities to adopt a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. Our next objective is to extend these adaptive interventions to the most vulnerable areas of the city. In addition, the Commission requested input on defining the regulatory framework for climate resilience and risk management at European level. In this regard, based on local and regional experience, we had the opportunity to highlight the importance of providing local authorities with specific funding to monitor the state of the art, resources to intervene, and an approach that looks at public-private co-planning and planning capacity on a larger territorial scale. "
Details
- Publication date
- 28 October 2025