O Rosal Showcases EC4RURAL as a Best Practice Example During the Visit from Latvia’s Association Partnership Daugava’s

Last Friday, April 11, our EC4RURAL project was featured during a visit to the Municipality of O Rosal by the Latvian Local Action Group (LAG) “Association Partnership Daugavkrasts.” The visit took place as part of the Erasmus+ program. This organization is the Latvian equivalent of Galicia’s rural development groups (GDRs).

Xavier Simón, project coordinator and Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Vigo (UVigo), presented the goals of our initiative, which focuses on facilitating the transition to clean energy in 34 municipalities across Galicia and Estonia through the creation of local energy communities. The Municipality of O Rosal is one of 22 Galician municipalities participating in EC4RURAL, which is co-funded by the LIFE program.

Another stop on the visit was the Oficina da Enerxía do Rosal (O Rosal Energy Office), a pioneering space that provides guidance, training, and support for energy efficiency initiatives and local energy communities.

A Holistic Vision

Through the Galicia Suroeste Eurural Development Association and within the framework of the Erasmus+ program, the Municipality of O Rosal welcomed a delegation from the Latvian association Partnership Daugavkrasts to learn about best practices for building and strengthening sustainable local communities, encouraging citizen participation, and advancing toward energy self-sufficiency models. The delegation visited exemplary local initiatives and engaged in meaningful exchanges with residents, local organizations, and institutional representatives.

Both participation in EC4RURAL and the Energy Office are part of the municipality’s environmental sustainability and ecological transformation strategy, which the local government has been developing over the past five years through innovative projects in various fields.