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Background

Energy access is essential for economic growth, poverty alleviation and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, as recognized by the international community at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg 2002. 80-90% of the African population has limited access to modern forms of energy, such as electricity, and relies on traditional biomass such as wood and agricultural residues for cooking and heating. A better access to energy services is a must to improve income-generating opportunities, communication, health, education, environment and life quality in general.

The EU Energy Initiative for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development (EUEI) was launched at the Johannesburg Summit, inviting developing countries and other stakeholders to form partnerships aiming at improving energy access for the poor.

At the EUEI Energy for Africa conference in Nairobi, November 2003 the participating African governments and other stakeholders recommended EUEI to focus on improving the access to energy services for rural areas, in particular rural electrification, sustainable use of biomass and household energy, as well as the corresponding development of policies and strategies, and capacity building.

The Facilitation Workshops and Policy Dialogues described here is a joint step of the EUEI and African partners towards transforming the Nairobi recommendations into action at the national level in a number of African countries. A second component will be launched after completion of the two events mentioned above.

The activities involved in the second component will follow directly on the results and initiatives agreed on in the Facilitation Workshops and Policy Dialogues, and will address the further design and implementation through targeted support to the individual countries in the areas of provision of policy and strategy inputs to governments; implementation of awareness activities; and facilitation of programmes and partnerships for implementation.

See also Information leaflet: EUEI workshop information leaflet

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