Moldovan and Ukrainian signatories join the Covenant of Mayors Ceremony 2025 in Brussels

Local leaders from the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine took part in the Covenant of Mayors Ceremony 2025, held on 16 October at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event gathered more than 700 participants and over 150 mayors from across Europe. It marked seventeen years of the European Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and showed how Europe’s future is shaped locally.

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Eastern Partnership mayors join Europe-wide discussions

Fifteen Signatories from the Republic of Moldova and five mayors from Ukraine joined the plenary session and thematic discussions. They participated in panels on local energy independence, the clean-energy transition and strengthening urban resilience.

• Oleksandr Sienkevych, Mayor of Mykolaiv (Ukraine), spoke about lessons learned from the energy crisis during wartime. He outlined the rapid steps cities had to take to protect citizens and maintain essential services. Sienkevych noted the investments made in solar energy for hospitals and schools, which allowed them to operate during blackouts, and shared Mykolaiv’s work on resilient local infrastructure and cogeneration projects. He underlined that European support, including through the Covenant of Mayors – East, helps Ukrainian cities rebuild in a way that is “greener, safer, and closer to Europe.”
• Olga Pac, Mayor of Vișniovca (Moldova), noted that the municipality has already completed 65 per cent of its SECAP targets. These include the thermal insulation of the local gymnasium and planting more than 80 hectares of forest.
• Nicolae Tudoreanu, Mayor of Feștelița (Moldova), emphasised that the locality has been part of the Covenant since 2013 and continues to draw inspiration from European models in its climate and energy actions.
• Eduard Sturza, Mayor of Geamăna (Moldova), highlighted recent progress in reducing emissions through biomass and renewable-energy solutions in public buildings.
• Vladyslav Skalskyy, Deputy Mayor of Vinnytsia (Ukraine), said that joining the Covenant of Mayors gives political legitimacy to local climate policies and provides a clear framework through SECAP for advancing towards climate neutrality by 2030.

Clear messages from European leaders

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, addressing Moldova and Ukraine directly, said: “You are here among friends. Your engagement here is proof that you are already building your European future, step-by-step, and project by project, together with us all. Because, let me be clear, the future of both your countries is at the heart of our European Union”

President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola emphasised that Europe is in all cities and regions, that citizens are building Europe every day “We need to make sure that both the design and implementation of these programmes stay as close as possible to local and regional realities, and actually deliver on their aims. Because policies only work when they reflect the people and places they’re meant to serve. That means listening more, involving you more, and building together from the ground up,“ added Metsola

Recognising local innovation

The ceremony also highlighted the Covenant of Mayors Award winners – Mechelen, Lappeenranta and Domokos – which presented examples of local innovation in clean-heat systems and community engagement. Their experience demonstrated how municipal action drives the wider European energy transition.