Brussels, 19/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - Member states gave their approval on Tuesday 19 January to a Commission proposal to invest €217 million in 15 key trans-European energy infrastructure projects, mainly in Central and South Eastern Europe.
Of the projects selected for EU funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), nine are in the gas sector (financial aid worth €207 million) and six are in the electricity sector (€10 million). Thirteen relate to studies, such as environmental impact assessments (€29 million), and two to construction works (€188 million).
In the gas sector, the allocated grants will cover, inter alia, studies for modernising the Bulgarian gas transmission network which will improve the possibilities for the transport of gas in the region, notably for the benefit of Greece, Romania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey.
Funding will also be allocated to studies on the Midcat project which will help eliminate infrastructure bottlenecks between the Iberian Peninsula and France, and connect gas supplies from Algeria and Spanish LNG terminals with the rest of Europe.
The interconnector linking gas networks in Romania, Bulgaria, Austria and Hungary will also get EU funding. This is an important development for the EU gas market as this will allow gas from the Caspian region and other potential sources, including LNG, to reach Central Europe.
The development of electricity infrastructure will also benefit from CEF financial assistance. This includes environmental and engineering design studies for the Germany-Denmark interconnection which will help supply Nordic electricity to Central Europe.
The European Commission proposal to select these projects was supported by the CEF Coordination Committee, which consists of representatives from all member states.
By the end of January, the Commission will formally adopt the list of proposals which will receive financial assistance under CEF-Energy. A total of €5.35 billion has been allocated to trans-European energy infrastructure for the period of 2014-2020.
To be eligible for a grant, proposals have to relate to a project included in the list of projects of common interest. There are 195 energy infrastructure projects on the list adopted at the end of 2015 (see EUROPE 11433). (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)