The past year, REScoop.eu and CEE Bankwatch Network have been collaborating on a research project dedicated to analyzing cohesion policy programs as it relates to their support to energy communities (RECs and CECs). This report covers 8 countries that were selected based on the capabilities of the CEE CEE Bankwatch Network, their relevance to the region, and the availability of information. This set of countries is meant to be extended in further research. The countries covered are Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Romania, Latvia and Bulgaria.

This paper is an extract of the conclusions of this report and highlights some lessons learned from the research process.