Brussels, 05/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 5 March, the Commission announced that it was opening the call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF): with a total of €650 million for grants foreseen in 2015, €100 million will be made available for projects aimed at ending energy isolation, eliminating energy bottlenecks and to complete the European energy market.
The legal basis for this call for proposals is the regulation introducing the CEF, which entered into force in December 2013, while the rules on the granting of financial support are defined in the regulation on the guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure, which entered into force in May 2013. Out of the total budget of €33.2 billion for the entire CEF, an envelope of €5.85 billion has been allocated for trans-European energy infrastructure for 2014-2020. During the first call for proposals under the CEF, organised in May 2014, €647 million was earmarked. In order to apply for a grant, a project has to be on the list of 'projects of common interest' (PCI). A first list of projects of common interest was adopted by the European Commission in October 2013. It consists of 248 key energy infrastructure projects which, when completed, would each ensure significant benefits for at least two Member States, enhance security of supply, contribute to market integration, increased competition as well as to sustainability.
The subsidies granted will be used to fund construction studies and their undertaking. Proposals for works can only receive grants if they meet certain criteria on security of supply, solidarity between member states or innovation.
In general, the amount of EU support cannot exceed 50% of the eligible costs for both studies and works. In exceptional cases, when a project contributes significantly to the security of supply, enhances energy solidarity between member states or offers highly innovative solutions, EU support may be increased to a maximum of 75% of the costs for works.
The proposals for this first call for proposals in 2015 will have to be submitted by 29 April. The final decision indicating what projects will obtain funding under the CEF will be taken in the middle of July. It should be pointed out that on 16 March the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy, together with the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency, will organise an Info Day in Brussels to give project promoters more information about the funding opportunities, including practical details about how to apply for a CEF grant. (Emmanuel Hagry)