European Commission: Consultation on the list of candidate projects of common interest in electricity and gas

On 14 January 2021 the Commission is launching a 12-week consultation seeking views from the public, from stakeholders and from public authorities on the merits of candidate projects for the fifth list of EU Projects of Common Interest (PCI) in the field of electricity and gas. The aim is receive stakeholders’ opinion on the way these candidate projects contribute to market integration, sustainability, security of supply and competition from an EU energy policy perspective. Similar consultations for oil, smart grids and cross-border carbon dioxide networks projects will follow.

The 5th PCI list will be adopted by the European Commission by the end of 2021 under the existing regulation on Trans-European Energy Networks (TEN-E). The Commission tabled a legislative proposal for revising the TEN-E Regulation before the end of 2020. In the review, the Commission has proposed to end eligibility for PCI status for fossil fuel-based projects as well as a mandatory application of the sustainability criteria to all categories. The hope is that the new rules can be agreed an in place in time for the 6th PCI list.

Whereas the 5th PCI list will have to be based on the existing TEN-E Regulation, the Commission has confirmed that it will revise the sustainability criteria for the 5th PCI list to more accurately reflect the net impact on CO2 emissions of proposed gas projects and ensure its application.