European funds will support cities to invest smarter and become more efficient
The opportunities and challenges raised by the development of smart cities at the European level were the core topic of the Smart Transformation Forum 2019 who took place in Bucharest at the end of last week.
The event happened in the context in which the forecasts show that by 2050, 66% of the world’s population will live in urban areas. Today, cities consume 70% of the energy produced globally, yet generate 70% of the GDP worldwide. In Romania, the main urban areas generate over 50% of the country’s GDP. The challenge will be to provide the population with basic elements, such as food security, clean water, enough energy, but also economic, social and environmental sustainability.
The European funds are ready to support cities to invest smartly, to become more efficient. Smart cities are not built from scratch, they are gradually evolving, being in a continuous process that must be carried out with the and for the citizens. The Romanian Ministry of European Funds supports these initiatives, plus we already have a constant dialogue with local authorities to define future priorities Mihaela Toader, Secretary of State in the Ministry of European Funds (MFE).
Currently, the MFE is negotiating with the European Commission’s use of the allocated funds for the next programming period (2021-2027).
