The closing meeting of the project titled “Cooperation for the Planning and Monitoring of Sustainable Energy and Climate Actions in the Black Sea Basin – STEP2CleanPlan” (Project No: BSB00004), implemented under the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Cross-BorderCooperation Programme, for which the Presidency of the European Union of Türkiye acts as the National Authority, was held today in the municipal council hall with the participation of local stakeholders. The project has been implemented since July 2024 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. The project is led by Uzunköprü Municipality.
The meeting was attended by municipal council members, heads of relevant municipal departments, representatives of civil society organizations, professional chambers, and members of the press. During the meeting, the overall objectives of the project, the achieved outputs, and the Climate Neutral Urban Mobility Plan prepared specifically for Uzunköprü were presented.
The Step2CleanPlan project brings together four partners from Türkiye, Bulgaria, and Greece, aiming to strengthen the planning and implementation capacities of local and regional decision-makers in the fields of climate change adaptation, clean energy, and sustainable urban mobility. The project partners are Uzunköprü Municipality (Türkiye) as the lead partner, ANATOLIKI S.A. Local Development Agency (Greece), Burgas Regional Administration (Bulgaria), and BIONET Association (Bulgaria).
Within the scope of the project, Uzunköprü Municipality prepared a Climate Neutral Urban Mobility Plan to regulate traffic density. The plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from urban transportation, create a safer and more accessible urban transport system, and promote environmentally friendly modes of transport such as cycling and walking.
Based on the findings obtained during the preparation phase, the plan incorporates technical provisions such as new road standards, intersection designs, and proposals for pedestrian and bicycle paths for the urban transport system of Uzunköprü. In this way, the plan has become not only a vision document but also a concrete and implementation-oriented technical guide.
Within the framework of the project, a Local Policy Tools Guide for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation was prepared for local policymakers and made publicly available to all stakeholders through the municipality’s website.
In addition to Uzunköprü, the Step2CleanPlan project has contributed to the development of four separate plans and framework documents in Burgas Province and Byala Municipality in Bulgaria, and Kalamaria Municipality in Greece, focusing on sustainable urban mobility, energy efficiency in public buildings, and the reduction of carbon footprints related to waste management. Thus, a shared knowledge base and cooperation framework for climate-friendly and energy-efficient cities in the Black Sea Basin has been established.
In the speech delivered on behalf of the Mayor of Uzunköprü during the meeting, the contributions of the project to the city were emphasized, stating:
“Thanks to Step2CleanPlan, Uzunköprü has gained a concrete roadmap towards a climate- neutral future. The Climate Neutral Urban Mobility Plan we have prepared will both improve the air quality of our city and increase our citizens’ access to safer, healthier, and more environmentally friendly transportation options. We would like to thank all our project partners, the European Union, and national authorities for sharing their knowledge and experience with us throughout this process, and we hope that this cooperation will continue with new projects.”
The total budget of the Step2CleanPlan project is EUR 504,504.00, of which EUR 454,053.60 (90%) is financed by the European Union. The 18-month implementation period of the project is expected to be completed on 02.01.2026.
For more information: https://step2cleanplan.com/
The content of this press release is the sole responsibility of Uzunköprü Municipality and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the authorities of the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Cross-Border Cooperation Programme.
