Casella (European Commission): “We work for the development of renewables in North Africa”

Hammamet – “We have a joint strategy with the neighbouring countries, and so we work essentially on some elements that are key to the transition; we try to develop everything related to renewables because there is a lot of potential.” In North Africa, “there is a lot of sun, there is a lot of wind, and there is a lot of space, so there is the possibility.” These are the words of Cristina Casella, program manager at the European Commission’s DG NEAR (Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement), at the third and final MeetMED weeks, which takes place in Hammamet, Tunisia. “There is still a lot of work to be done, though,” starting with “technical assistance, training, and funding; we work not only from Brussels but also in our delegations.”

It is important that “energy stakeholders and banks, not only international but also local, talk to each other because there is often no dialogue. This is one of the most appreciated things about the program; we have already done some of these in various countries, and there will be more,” Casella continues. “We are trying to work on policies because some countries already have more advanced policies on green homes and some don’t; we work on both policies and investments and have a comprehensive approach to the idea of climate targets.”