Latest news with #ERDF
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Latvia to develop emergency shelters in 570 properties
RIGA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Latvia will convert premises in 570 buildings into emergency shelters with 22.19 million euros (25.07 million U.S. dollars) in co-funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The Latvian government on Tuesday approved a list of eligible properties whose owners will qualify for ERDF funding. The list includes 453 municipal and 117 state-owned buildings. The ERDF funding will be used to reconstruct or renovate existing spaces to meet third-category emergency shelter standards, which provide protection against various hazards such as explosions and disasters. The State Fire and Rescue Service has surveyed more than 3,000 state and municipal properties across Latvia and identified over 1,600 buildings with basements suitable for emergency shelter conversion. On April 30, the Latvian parliament adopted amendments to the Civil Protection and Disaster Management Law, mandating the construction of emergency shelters in specific types of buildings and setting regulations for the development and use of shelters. (1 euro = 1.13 U.S. dollar)
Agriland
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
MEP calls for immediate reversal of rural housing restrictions
Independent Ireland MEP, Ciaran Mullooly has today (May 19) urged local authorities to immediately reverse restrictions on one-off rural housing. The MEP has warned that current planning policies are driving a deepening emergency for families and communities across Ireland and Europe. Addressing the Housing Crisis Committee, MEP Mullooly highlighted the acute challenges faced by rural homeowners, particularly in Ireland, where building a home on family land has historically been the only viable route to homeownership for people. The MEP also condemned the 'growing' trend of local people being denied planning permission after incurring prohibitive costs for reports, only to be refused the right to build on ancestral land. According to the MEP, these barriers are 'fueling a cycle of depopulation', with young people unable to return, local schools losing teachers, sports clubs folding, and vital community hubs like pubs and post offices closing. Rural housing MEP Mullooly has criticised planning systems that prioritise environmental protections, such as safeguarding bogs, over the 'survival of rural communities'. He said: 'Let me be absolutely clear, rural Ireland is not a museum. It is not to be preserved for the benefit of planning documents or biodiversity reports. 'Rural Ireland is living and breathing, but struggling to survive, impacted by decisions made in distant rooms with no links to that place.' 'So we must see the full deployment of the Just Transition fund and ERDF fund to support these local communities,' Mullooly added. The MEP has called for a balanced approach that recognises both the socio-economic and cultural benefits of one-off housing and the advances in modern environmental techniques that can address legitimate concerns. Mullooly also warned that uncertainty over future funding in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MMF) threatens to undermine vital rural development efforts. He called for full deployment of the Just Transition fund and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to empower local communities and insisted that planning must be community-led and designed by locals rather than 'imposed from distant bureaucracies'.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SHINES Project Will Harness Tidal, River Energy in European Region
The SHINES project, or Showcasing Hydrokinetic energy Innovations for Northwest European Energy Sovereignty, is underway, bringing together 14 partners from France, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany. Co-financed by Interreg North-West Europe under the fourth call for projects, SHINES is set to unlock the potential of tidal and river energy systems, an opportunity still largely untapped in the region. With a total budget of €10M ($10.9 million), including 60% ERDF funding, this ambitious project led by OPEN-C Foundation will span from January 2025 to December 2028. The northwestern part of Europe is a prime location for tidal and river energy development, thanks to its unique natural features. Specific locations—gulfs, straits, islands, inlets, and spots along large rivers—offer promising conditions. Despite its potential, tidal and river energy in the region requires further investment to overcome political, economic, and regulatory hurdles. [caption id="attachment_230815" align="alignnone" width="640"] The HydraWing tidal energy device. Source: Inyanga Marine Energy Group[/caption] SHINES will address these challenges by replicating and scaling up three innovative solutions (HydroWing, RivGen and TidalKite) through grid connections and real sea deployments in France and the Netherlands. Some of the most promising sites across the region will be developed, engaging 100 organizations in the adoption of tidal and river energy systems. Inyanga is delighted to be a partner in the SHINES project, using its patented HydroWing technology. Inyanga will design, construct and install a grid-connected 600kW tidal energy turbine on the Paimpol-Bréhat test site in France, then operate and monitor the device throughout the test period. In addition, Inyanga will install and maintain the SeaQurrent TidalKite device at Paimpol-Bréhat, managing all offshore operations. Interreg North-West Europe's wealth of expertise in water management, hydrodynamics, flow measurements, and innovative technologies such as HydroWing, RivGen and TidalKite provide a solid foundation for progress. SHINES will catalyze transnational collaboration, enabling the region to consolidate efforts, quantify its energy potential, and drive investments to achieve generation capacity targets. The project is aligned with Europe's Net-Zero Strategy and the Critical Raw Materials Act, contributing to the goals of 1 GW of ocean energy capacity by 2030, and 40 GW by 2050. Ocean energy holds the promise of creating 400,000 high-value jobs by 2050, revitalizing coastal communities with histories rooted in shipbuilding, fishing, and oil and gas industries. —POWER edited this content, which was supplied by the communications team for Inyanga Marine Energy Group.
