Over the last months, EURADA has been heavily involved in XPRESS project since the secretariat based in Brussels organised; first, a project meeting in Lisbon (Portugal); a high-level Policy co-creation workshop in Brussels, and, lastly, the final conference of the project at the end of June.
XPRESS – an EU-funded project under Horizon 2020 R&I programme – gives support to Public Procurements to facilitate the collaboration between SMEs and public sector for the adoption of RES (Renewable Energy Sources) in regions. Brussels is the correct location for a final conference since it guarantees the required European visibility of the project’s outcomes and encourages the participants of the officials working for the European Institutions.
The final conference consisted of the presentation of the different work package results and the upcoming future challenges the implementation of Green Public Procurement (GPP) procedures face. As part of WP 1, Creation of the Framework, 20 different stakeholder’s café, and policy co-creation workshops were celebrated. In three years project,, EURADA was responsible fo the organization of 4 stakeholder cafès.
Two of them have been online meetings: Belgian and Eastern Europe stakeholder café, while the remaining 2 were face-to-face events in Portugal (EURADA will be probably coordinating the last stakeholder café in York that will be celebrated in the month of August). On behalf of EURADA, Nora Scantamburlo, was one of the speakers of the day, presenting all the outcomes of the 3rPolicy Co-creation Workshop which took place last 31st of May in Brussels. In the framework of such policy co-creation workshop, EURADA organised a session entirely dedicated to Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) dealing with GPP and RES. ADR Nord Est and IVACE participated as EURADA’s members expert on the topics.
Despite EURADA’s fully dedication in all its projects, the involvement in XPRESS has been especially relevant considering this project not only looks forward, for instance, to achieve structural change on how GPP is integrated into member states national legislation, but is also engaged in accomplishing a bottom-up approach by involving directly SMEs and citizens in transiting to a green new era, in which EURADA and its member are playing a key role. Unfortunately, XPRESS project is counting its last days, but EURADA is, as always, looking forward to join new initiatives which have regional development and public good at its best interest.
