COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2022/1512

of 7 September 2022

on the request for registration of the European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Every European house equipped with 1 kW photovoltaic and 0,6 kW wind turbines using EU funding through the municipalities alone’, pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council

(notified under document C(2022) 6108)

(Only the Romanian text is authentic)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the European citizens’ initiative (1) and in particular Article 6(2) and (3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) A request for registration of a European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Every European house equipped with 1 kW photovoltaic and 0,6 kW wind turbines using EU funding through the municipalities alone’ was submitted to the Commission on 11 July 2022.

(2) The objectives of the initiative are expressed by the organisers as follows: ‘(1) to reduce the CO2 footprint of each household; (2) accountability of the municipalities, distributors and suppliers of energy, limiting migration between suppliers in the green zone with professional training for at least one municipality employee in environmental matters, using only EU equipment; (3) development of green energy sources in the most isolated villages and at the end of networks which would otherwise require consolidation investments funded by distributors, energy suppliers or territorial administrative units; (4) to change the public perception that green energy is expensive and to educate the public to consume at least 1 kW of solar energy during the day in order to reduce bills. We say stop to the energy war, we prepare local turbine pump systems of up to 400 kW, drip irrigation systems and hydrogen generators for compact energy zones. A major step for competitiveness in the EU.’

(3) An annex to the initiative provides further details on the subject matter, objectives and background to the initiative, setting out and detailing the reasons to support it. The organisers claim that the money not used for resilience, cohesion and regional development could serve to fund, through territorial administrative units, 600 million photovoltaic panels and 197 000 megawatt green energy in approximately 197 million households across the Union for an estimated cost of EUR 750 billion, laying the foundations of the ‘green European energy union’.

(4) As regards the call for action to install photovoltaic panels and wind turbines to supply households with green energy with a view to reducing their CO2 footprint, the Commission has the power to present proposals for legal acts creating obligations to equip new or existing buildings with renewable energy installations and seeking to speed-up permitting procedures for renewable energy projects on the basis of Article 194(2) of the Treaty.

(5) Inasmuch as the initiative calls for its objectives to be achieved with the contribution of Union funds, the Recovery and Resilience Facility as well as the Just Transition Fund, InvestEU, based on Article 173 and/or Article 175 of the Treaty, and the proposed new Social Climate Fund, based on Article 91(1), point (d), Article 192(1) and Article 194(1), point (c), all provide for significant investments into the green transition.

(6) For those reasons, none of the parts of the initiative manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission’s powers to submit a proposal for a legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties.

(7) That conclusion is without prejudice to the assessment of whether the concrete substantive conditions required for the Commission to act, including compliance with the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity, and compatibility with fundamental rights, would be met in this case.

(8) The group of organisers has provided appropriate evidence that it fulfils the requirements laid down in Article 5(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/788 and has designated the contact persons in accordance with Article 5(3), first subparagraph, of that Regulation.

(9) The initiative is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious, nor is it manifestly contrary to the values of the Union as set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and rights enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

(10) The initiative entitled ‘Every European house equipped with 1 kW photovoltaic and 0,6 kW wind turbines using EU funding through the municipalities alone’ should therefore be registered.

(11) The conclusion that the conditions for registration under Article 6(3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/788 are fulfilled does not imply that the Commission in any way confirms the factual correctness of the content of the initiative, which is the sole responsibility of the group of organisers of the initiative. The content of the initiative only expresses the views of the group of organisers, and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Commission,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 The European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Every European house equipped with 1 kW photovoltaic and 0,6 kW wind turbines using EU funding through the municipalities alone’ shall be registered.

Article 2 This Decision is addressed to the group of organisers of the citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Every European house equipped with 1 kW photovoltaic and 0,6 kW wind turbines using EU funding through the municipalities alone’, represented by Mr Augustin DANILA and Mr Vlad VASILE acting as contact persons.

Done at Brussels, 7 September 2022. For the Commission Věra JOUROVÁ Vice-President

(1) OJ L 130, 17.5.2019, p. 55.