The report of rapporteur Carlo Fidanza of the EU Parliament on the EC proposal on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (COM2013/18) was approved in the Parliaments Transport Committee on November 26. The report included many amendments that referred to the important role of regions and cities next to Member States to accelerate clean fuels infrastructure deployment . It is now up to Member States to ensure that tangible targets are set for 2020 especially on fuels that clean up the air in congested the livelihood of more than 60% European citizens. The same day the EU Commission launched the first draft Horizon 2020 programs  that support the development of Smart Cites and Communities. .

The new Horizon 2002 energy calls include the topics of Smart Cities  and Communities will have a budget of 2014 € 92 in 2014 and 108 in 2015 and will focus on Call will be published on December 11, 2013

1. Lighthouse projects dealing with solutions that integrate ICT, energy and trasnport

2. Enhancing the roll out : monitoring , procurement solutions Competitive low carbon energy 359 and 371, SME 34 and 37 ( over 1 bln over the two years)

The Transport calls in 2014 and 2015 in Horizon 202o include € 106 mln for urban mobility. Other topics are Green Vehicles and Small business innovation and Transport in Smart Cites and Communities light house projects . The Transport call of 2014 on urban mobility (Civitas) includes : transformation of the use of conventional fuels, reducing impact of freight and  tackling urban congestion In 2015 topics include demonstrating and testing solutions with minimum 5 cities and strengthening the knowledge an capabilities of local officials. Most proposals will be evaluated in two stages:  impact assessment will be key.

More than € 7,82 bln , 9,63 %, of the European Regional Development Funding and Cohesion funding is going to urban mobility. In the new 2014 – 202o program  Structural funds can be used when activities contribute to low carbon technologies, multi modal transport use and linkage of rural with urban areas. Funding for the use of clean fuels as BEV and FCEV is also .possible

The EU LIFE program, just approved by the European Parliament  on  21 November 2013. The new ‘LIFE Programme for the Environment and Climate Action’ has a budget of EUR 3.1 billion for environmental projects carried out by public or private bodies in 2014-2020. The Life program prioritises projects around climate action and resource efficiency. The budget earmarks EUR 864 million for a dedicated sub-programme for climate action.

HyER posed a question on how to make the best  use of a combination of different EU programs to allow larger programs. No mechanism is in place to facilitate multiple program use as each program has its own objective (research, regional development and environmental protection etc.