The European Committee of the Regions has included two projects from Matosinhos, ENNO – Energias do Norte and MOVES-IT, in its 2026 Annual Report on the State of European Regions and Municipalities. These initiatives were presented during the European Week of Regions and Cities.
The two initiatives address different aspects of sustainable development: ENNO focuses on promoting energy autonomy and the circular economy, while MOVES-IT enhances urban intelligence and citizen participation in planning and decision-making.
ENNO – Energias do Norte, a renewable energy community established in 2025 by LIPOR, brings together ten municipalities and 28 founding entities. The project was selected as an example of territorial cooperation in addressing European energy challenges. Matosinhos is a founding member and will chair the Board of Directors for the first two years.
ENNO's model is based on the production and sharing of energy from the energy valorization of urban waste, with an estimated annual production of around 160 GWh of electricity. This energy will be integrated into the national grid, covering the annual electricity consumption of the entire municipality of Matosinhos.
ENNO's objectives include reducing electricity costs, increasing tariff predictability, strengthening energy autonomy, decreasing exposure to market fluctuations, contributing to decarbonization, environmental sustainability, and combating energy poverty. The project is technically supported by the Porto Energy Agency and LIPOR.
The report also highlights the MOVES-IT project, developed in Matosinhos, as an example of how digital tools can enhance civic participation and democratic resilience at the local level. The project combines an urban intelligence center with digital tools to engage citizens in city planning and decision-making processes.
This approach aims to bring urban management closer to the population, creating opportunities for citizens to participate more informedly and actively in shaping policies and solutions that influence their territory. MOVES-IT demonstrates the potential of digital innovation for more participatory local governance and for responding to the challenges of contemporary cities.
The report also emphasizes the importance of strengthening cooperation between different levels of governance and territories, through the sharing of experiences and participation in transnational networks. This collaboration allows for the amplification of effective solutions and enables local experiences to contribute to European responses to common challenges.
