The European Commission recalled on Wednesday 12 December that it was launching a consultation until 28 February 2019 on the list of projects of common interest in the energy infrastructure sector. Objective pursued: to prepare the fourth list of projects of common interest to the Union in the field of energy.
Regulation 347/2013 on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure (TEN-E Regulation) sets out the framework for the modernisation of Europe's ageing infrastructure. Within this framework, nine priority corridors and three thematic areas have been identified as urgently requiring infrastructure upgrading. The TEN-E Regulation also defines the procedure and criteria for a project to become a project of common interest (PCI) on the basis of these corridors and thematic areas.
Every two years, the EU draws up a list of projects of common interest. The first three EU-wide lists were adopted in October 2013, November 2015 and November 2017.
The process begins with the project submission phase. Project proponents submit their project proposals in the electricity, gas, smart grid, oil and CO2 grid sectors to regional groups for evaluation. Regional groups evaluate projects. In order to prepare the 4th list of projects of common interest to the Union scheduled for October 2019, the evaluation will be carried out in spring 2019 and the regional groups will draw up the regional lists of projects of common interest in June 2019.
The purpose of this consultation is to gather the views of interested parties on specific candidate projects in the energy sector. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)