Brussels, 14/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - The importance of regional cooperation in the implementation of projects of common interest (PCI) in the energy field; a key role being played by member states within different regional groups when it comes to selecting these projects; a clear standardised methodology for assessing them; pre-eminence to the private sector in financing the projects and recourse to the use of public funding only in the event of market failure; the transparent allocation of costs according to the “user pays” principle; and member states playing an active role at all the different stages of the project completion process - these are the points of consensus which were reached at the orientation debate on the draft regulation on Trans-European Energy Infrastructure projects, held by ministers at the Energy Council on Tuesday 14 February (see EUROPE 10552).
The ministers focused on two aspects of the proposal submitted by the Commission on 24 October: - the role of regional groups, called on to identify projects of common interest and in which all the different stakeholders should be represented (states, regulatory authorities, service providers, network operators); - regulatory measures covering the methodology used to analyse costs and benefits from projects on a European energy system scale, modalities for allocating investment costs between the different actors and incentives to attract investors.
On the first point, almost all the different delegations wanted member states to have a decisive role in drawing up the list of projects of common interest, as well as in the preliminary work undertaken by the regional groups. The states believe they have a strategic overview that enables them to ensure that the projects that are often subject to criticism are accepted by the public in their respective countries. In an effort to ensure this acceptance is obtained, the majority of delegations focused on a transparent selection process, free from any external influence and based on coherent and standard criteria. Many delegations also indicated that the list of projects should be based on already existing projects and that these be continued. Some delegations asked for a degree of flexibility in the operational functioning of the regional groups, particularly with regard to deadlines and the possibility for each group to define the way in which each project works.
In the context of the rules for cost/benefit analysis, the Commission proposal won broad support from the delegations but several of them insisted on the need for a proactive role to be played by member states with regard to the definition of the methodology used. Broad support for the proposal was expressed with regard to the method for allocating project costs, which should be proportional to the benefits expected by the users. In connection with project selection, some of the small countries also insisted on taking local interests into account and not only the size of the projects or their importance at a European level.
Commissioner Öttinger criticised the slowness and scattergun nature of European decisions, as compared with those taken by the EU's competitors. He called for solidarity and coordination as a means of facilitating project planning, as well as the need to provide investors with the most attractive conditions as a means to encourage their financial participation. The €9 billion requested from public funding constitutes a strict minimum if projects are to be accomplished effectively - projects, which, due to their specific nature, do not attract private investors, he pointed out. (FG/transl.fl)