The Energy Poverty Alleviation Office (EPAO) of the City of Athens participated in the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2026, Europe’s largest annual event dedicated to renewable energy and the clean energy transition, held in Brussels from June 9 -11.
As part of the event, EPAO participated in the Energy Fair, showcasing the City of Athens’ work and initiatives to support energy-vulnerable households and promote a just and inclusive energy transition. The Office’s team also had the opportunity to exchange knowledge, experiences, and best practices with representatives of local authorities, European institutions, and organisations from across Europe.
On June 11, Avgi Gonou, Sustainability and International Cooperation Advisor at EPAO, participated in the panel discussion “From Policy to Practice: Inclusive Urban Energy Communities”, where she presented EPAO’s actions to address energy poverty.
The discussion focused on the role of energy communities in tackling energy poverty, as well as on the need to develop solutions that ensure vulnerable households can benefit from the opportunities and advantages offered by clean energy.
The panel also featured Ricardo Mexia, President of the Lumiar Parish Council; Corina Murafa, Expert affiliated with the Centre for the Study of Democracy and co-founder of the Romanian Energy Poverty Observatory (ORSE); Steven Laurijssen, Project Coordinator at Klimaan, and Achille Hannoset, Policy & Legal Officer at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy. The discussion was moderated by Alison De Luise, Energy Poverty Coordinator at Covenant of Mayors Europe.
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/wz38FWcVxpc
The action was implemented within the framework of the project “Operation of the Energy Crisis Response Mechanism in the Municipality of Athens” (MIS Code 6039174), which is co-financed by the Attica Regional Operational Programme 2021–2027 and the European Regional Development Fund.