A European framework to scale cross-border energy communities
The European Commission has selected seven applicants to implement pilot actions under the CBEC, Cross-border Energy Communities Pilot Actions programme. The initiative supports cross-border energy communities and aims to accelerate the energy transition while fostering cooperation among citizens in border regions.
CBEC is managed by the Association of European Border Regions and the Mission Opérationnelle Transfrontalière. It builds on the framework set out in the Manual for cross-border energy communities, published by the European Commission in 2025, which provides practical guidance to address regulatory, technical and governance challenges in cross-border settings.
Following a dedicated call for proposals, seven applicants were selected to develop their nearly or fully cross-border energy communities. Each beneficiary will receive a €15,000 grant alongside tailored technical support from REScoop.eu, the European federation of energy communities. The objective is to ensure that energy in cross-border territories is produced locally, owned by citizens and better integrated into neighbouring electricity markets.
After a joint kick-off event held on 23 February 2026 in the presence of DG REGIO, the seven pilot actions will officially start on 1 March 2026. The implementation period will last 12 months.
Throughout this phase, the selected initiatives will benefit from dedicated workshops, webinars and national expert assistance provided by REScoop.eu. They will apply the LICHT methodology developed by the federation to structure and formalise their communities, while relying on the Commission’s manual to overcome potential cross-border barriers.
The seven pilot initiatives across Europe
The selected pilot actions reflect a wide geographical spread and different governance models:
- “Cross-Border Energy Community Kempen”, promoted by citizen energy cooperatives Campina Energie in Belgium and KempenStroom in the Netherlands, aims to develop a nearly cross-border citizen energy community.
- “Power Across Borders”, led by the Arcen Velden Lomm Energy Cooperative in the Netherlands and the Straelen Citizen Energy Cooperative in Germany, also focuses on a nearly cross-border citizen energy community.
- “Energizing Borders: Building Awareness, Identifying Opportunities”, promoted by Europacity GörlitzZgorzelec GmbH in Germany, the Association for the Development of Energy Innovation STORIE and the Development Company Lower Silesia Upper Lusatia in Poland, seeks to establish a fully cross-border renewable energy community.
- “Cross-Border Energy Community Friuli Carinzia”, promoted by Enixi SARL in Austria and JA-CE ENERGY S.R.L in Italy, aims to create a nearly cross-border renewable energy community.
- “Cross-Border Energy Community Friuli-Goriška: A Transnational Model for Sustainable Cooperation”, promoted by Mountain Hill Community and Fondazione RECOCER in Italy, together with the Goriska Local Energy Agency and Green Technology Center Research and Development Ltd in Slovenia, focuses on a fully cross-border renewable energy community.
- “Creating a Q-CBEC in Euskal-Herria”, promoted by the citizen cooperatives GoiEner in Spain and I-ENER in France, aims to establish a nearly cross-border citizen energy community.
- “#Energia Para ElPueblo from EfiDuero energy community”, promoted by the European cooperative association EfiDuero Energy active between Spain and Portugal, plans to develop a fully cross-border renewable energy community.
Citizen ownership and market integration at the core
Cross-border energy communities represent a strategic instrument to deepen regional integration, particularly in areas where electricity systems, regulatory frameworks and market rules differ across national boundaries. By encouraging citizen ownership and local renewable production, these initiatives also align with the EU’s broader objectives on decentralisation, energy security and social acceptance of the transition.
The pilot actions selected under CBEC will serve as testing grounds to identify legal and operational bottlenecks, refine cooperation models and provide replicable solutions for other border regions across the Union.