Climate and energy transition

European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Danuta Hübner, announced that €105 billion will be invested in the "green economy" through the EU Cohesion Policy, for the 2007-2013 period.

In a press release from 9.March, Commissioner Hübner explained that this investment to green projects and jobs is almost three times greater than the sum allocated in the 2000-2006 budgetary period. In a difficult financial climate, this investment will be instrumental in creating long-term employment and reviving local economies, as well as underpinning the EU's commitment to the fight against climate change.

A large part of the envelope, €54 billion, is designed to help Member States to comply with EU environmental legislation. Improvement of water and waste management alone accounts for €28 billion of the total.