Project BeEAMS

The project BeEAMS - Boosting Energy Efficiency in Aspiring Member States has been co-funded by the European Commission under the IPA 2008 - Civil Society Facility: Support to Partnership Actions "Environment, Energy Efficiency, and Health and Safety at Work." BeEAMS – which will run for 18 months - is implemented by a partnership of 5 consumers’ organizations.

The overall goal of BeEAMS is to boost energy efficiency, use of renewable energies and rational consumption, and to strengthen the protection of "energy consumers" in the aspiring Member States, promoting the acceptance of European values, standards and good practices. This goal will be achieved by transferring knowledge and awareness on energy issues (with reference to the building sector) among stakeholders: consumer organizations, consumers and end-users, policy makers, stakeholders from trade and service sectors.

The problems faced by the aspiring Member States are mostly related to low energy efficiency and not rational consumption in the building sector, to the low development of energy services and renewable energies, and to the low motivation of energy consumers at all levels in saving energy, for lack of information both on good practices and on their rights as consumers.

Given this constraints, BeEAMS works in two directions.

During the first months the action will focus on strengthening the common information ground and the networking capabilities of the consumer organizations involved, to develop a common strategy on energy and energy consumers’ protection.

Once defined a common road map, the second phase of BeEAMS will focus on organising and running public events in the countries involved, in order to increase energy consumers’ awareness at all levels and to encourage them in changing their energy behaviour.

The actions will be carried out in the Canton of Tuzla (Bosnia Herzegovina), the Region of Zagreb (Croatia), the Province of Vojvodina (Serbia) and the province of Istanbul (Turkey). ADOC - as project leader - has a strategic role in the transfer of knowledge, not only referring to consumers’ protection, but also to lobbying and networking activity, contributing to strengthen local civil society organizations.