24/10/2022 (Agence Europe) – Welcoming the agreement in principle reached between France, Spain and Portugal (see EUROPE 13047/6), the European Commission said on Monday 24 October that it was ready to support the Barcelona to Marseille (BarMar) maritime gas pipeline project as a Project of Common Interest (PCI), provided that it complies with the criteria set out in the Trans-European Energy Networks (TEN-E) Regulation. Intended to replace the MidCat project, the BarMar pipeline will transport hydrogen and renewable gases, but also a “limited proportion of natural gas” on a temporary basis, according to the joint statement from Paris, Madrid and Lisbon. However, under the revised TEN-E Regulation, fossil fuel projects “are not eligible” for the EU PCI list and therefore cannot benefit from EU funds, unlike hydrogen projects, a Commission spokesperson said. The inclusion of the BarMar project in the next list of PCIs will therefore depend on technical details to be specified later by the three countries. (DG)