1st "Tales from Europe" night successfully
launched in Brussels

Thirty European journalists and regional "storytellers" took part to first "Tales from Europe" night in Brussels, on the 27th June, at the "Office of the European Region".

Correspondents from major EU media (among them the Financial Times, Il Sole 24 Ore, Ansa, Zdf, Europolitique, ApCom) actively engaged in a discussion with representatives and experts from four AER member regions (Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano, Comunidad Valenciana, Niedersachsen, South West UK), on the issue of renewable energies.

The AER Secretary General Klaus Klipp moderated the discussion, which was organised on the basis of a truly innovative style: the AER regional "storytellers" presented their activities in the context of an informal dinner. Journalists could taste Italian specialities and -at the same time- get exclusive insight into the following projects:
- Casa Clima (Bolzano), presented by Walter Huber
- ITE Instituto de Tecnologia Eléctrica (Valencia), presented by Juan Pablo González
- EWE (Oldenburg), presented by Nina Zipplies
- an overview of the projects on renewables in South West UK, presented by Maruxa Cardama

Manuel Ferry, president of the Spanish company "Ferry Group", and Angelo Consoli, Secretary General of the Hydrogen University in Puglia-I, also contributed actively to the discussion.

The whole evening represented a unique opportunity to present all these regional activities to the Brussels-based journalists and to develop further an interregional cooperation in the field of renewables, which are set to become the real "energy of the future". A field where European regions are already at the forefront.

On the basis of this success, the AER has already committed itself to launch the second edition of the "Tales from Europe" after the summer break: interested regions can contact the AER press office with themes' and "storytellers" suggestions.

The Assembly of European Regions - AER (www.aer.eu) is the political organisation of Regions in Europe and their spokesperson at European and international level. Its vocation is to defend the Regions' interests in the political process and develop interregional cooperation. The AER brings together 250 Regions from 32 European Countries and 14 interregional organisations.

AER Contacts: Sergio Nava, Spokesperson, s.nava@a-e-r.org - Mobile: +33 678 695235, Tel.: +33 3 88 22 74 36;
Francine Huhardeaux, Press Officer, f.huhardeaux@a-e-r.org - Mobile: +33 678 695203, Tel. +33 3 88 22 74 49.