In a statement issued on Tuesday 7 June, the NGOs ClientEarth, Friends of the Earth Europe, Food and Water Action Europe and CEE Bankwatch Network announced that they have taken legal action against the European Commission over the presence of fossil gas projects in the EU’s fifth list of priority cross-border energy infrastructure projects, known as ‘Projects of Common Interest’ (PCIs).
By supporting these projects, the EU is “shooting itself in the foot” and “ignoring its own climate and energy goals and its legal obligations under the Paris Agreement”, say the NGOs. According to them, this attitude is “unlawful”.
In particular, they accuse the Commission of failing to take into account the impact of methane emissions from gas infrastructure projects to which it has granted PCI status.
This status allows cross-border energy infrastructure projects to benefit from accelerated authorisation procedures and to become eligible for European funding under the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ (CEF).
The list is established by the Commission every two years through the adoption of a delegated act to which the co-legislators may object (see EUROPE 12836/3, 12908/15).
The legal action initiated by the NGOs starts with a request for an internal review to which the Commission is obliged to respond within 22 weeks.
The case could then be taken to the Court of Justice of the EU. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)