The EU and Uruguay decided to intensify their cooperation in pursuit of clean energy transition. During the EU-CELAC Summit in Brussels, the Commissioner for Energy, Ms. Kadri Simpson, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, Mr. Francisco Bustillo Bonasso, signed a memorandum of understanding on renewable energy, energy efficiency and renewable hydrogen, in the presence of the President of of the European Commission, Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen and the president of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, Mr. Luis Lacaille Pou. The memorandum of understanding is part of Global Gateway’s European Union – Latin America and the Caribbean investment agenda, which was presented yesterday by President von der Leyen at the EU-LAC Business Roundtable.

The President of the European Commission, Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, said: “The EU and Uruguay have a shared ambition to boost the use of renewable energy sources, in line with our ambitious climate goals. We share the need for a rules-based, transparent and distortion-free global hydrogen market with credible international standards and certification systems to support the clean energy transition. This MoU provides us with a basis for guiding and intensifying our work on these issues as we both strive to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.”

Energy from renewable sources, energy efficiency and renewable hydrogen

The memorandum signed today sets out our goals and paves the way for a future roadmap outlining specific activities supported by Global Gateway’s investment strategy. Possible areas of cooperation include the review and deepening of actions and policies to promote energy efficiency, as well as policy exchanges on renewable energy and renewable hydrogen and its derivatives. More specifically, our research and regulatory cooperation will include work on definitions, methodologies, sustainability rules, certification systems and measures to stimulate energy efficiency improvements and increase the use of renewable hydrogen.

We will also work together to channel investment in these critical sectors, providing potential investors with the maximum possible clarity regarding funding both in the European Union and in Uruguay.

This memorandum underlines that investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency and renewable hydrogen and its derivatives must comply with the relevant environmental legislation concerning the marine and terrestrial sectors in both the EU and Uruguay to ensure that we face both the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis at the same time. In addition, policies to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and renewable hydrogen and its derivatives should take due account of the protection, conservation and restoration of water bodies and water-related ecosystems.

Nikos Andritsos