Brussels, 16 July 2025 – Today, the European Commission released its long-awaited proposal for the next multiannual financial framework (MFF), which will run from 2028. The Commission’s proposal to merge the LIFE fund into a broader Competitiveness fund jeopardises the growth of the community energy movement. The LIFE Clean Energy Transition programme has been instrumental in the creation of new energy communities and the development of new services, such as flexibility, housing renovations, and heating and cooling. Without a specific budget in the new Competitiveness fund, this essential support risks disappearing. Therefore, REScoop.eu, the European federation of energy communities, calls for dedicated, earmarked funding for energy communities in the next EU budget.

Energy communities should explicitly be eligible in all public funding calls - including the Cohesion Funds and to the proposed Competitiveness Fund - with clear social criteria. Now that most EU funds will be concentrated into “National and Regional Plans”, we call on Member States to earmark dedicated funding streams for community energy projects and citizen energy initiatives, as outlined in REScoop.eu’s vision for the next EU budget.

Social economy networks, including national federations of energy communities, should play a greater role in co-managing EU funds. There are already successful examples in the current EU budget. In France, several regions partnered up with the French community energy federation Énergie Partagée to raise awareness around the European Regional Development Fund’s opportunities. In Belgium, the region of Wallonia provided a 3-year structural funding for the regional federation of energy communities, REScoop Wallonia, to promote citizen energy and the social economy. Similarly, Energie Samen, the Dutch federation of energy cooperatives, manages a national heat fund for the development of Community-led Heating and Cooling.

More broadly, REScoop.eu continues to call for the EU budget to double to at least EUR 2 trillion, including a new round of joint borrowing. With the continent facing multiple and overlapping crises, including geopolitical pressures, climate change, and growing socio-economic inequalities, the budget must rise to the challenge and serve a transformative purpose. This can be done through new joint borrowing, corresponding new own resources, and higher Gross National Income contributions from Member States to bolster our common capacity to respond to these and future crises.

At least 50% of the EU budget should be allocated to activities that contribute to one or more of the EU’s environmental goals of the EU Taxonomy (up from the 35% currently proposed). Just Transition and social economy objectives should also be mainstreamed across all EU funds, while also maintaining a stand-alone fund dedicated to such purposes (including funding energy communities). 

Mark Luntley, REScoop.eu president, said: “There is strong public support for action in the face of potential climate breakdown, but we also need to take citizens along with us in making the necessary changes. That means addressing the growing income and social inequalities across our continent. Funding streams such as the just transition fund, LIFE and COSME are key in addressing this issue, we contend they should be ringfenced in the coming MFF. In our vision for the next EU budget, Member States need to make it easier for organisations working in the social economy to access funds, for example by working with national federations of energy communities. We think this should increase public awareness of climate issues and wider support for the EU's work in this area”.

With the launch of the Commission's proposal for the next MFF, two years of negotiations with Member States and the European Parliament start today. REScoop.eu will coordinate with its members, as well as civil society organisations from across Europe, to defend a greener, more social EU budget. 

About REScoop.eu

REScoop.eu is the European federation of energy communities. It represents a growing network of 2,500 energy communities and their 2 million citizens who are active in the energy transition. Its goal is to support energy communities to achieve a fairer, more democratic, and sustainable energy system in Europe.

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REScoop.eu’s vision for the next EU budget can be found here.

For more information: Chris Vrettos, Policy advisor | T: +30 6948387911 | Email: chris.vrettos@rescoop.eu

For press inquiries: Clémence Hutin, Communications officer | T: +32 490 46 70 18 | Email: clemence.hutin@rescoop.eu