The European Commission approved the Projects of Common Interest important for achieving European goals related to power production and fight against the climate change. The European Energy Union will be built on those projects.
The projects will integrate the energy markets in Europe and diversify the energy sources and transport routes. In addition, the adopted projects will help bring an end to the energy isolation of some Member States. They will also increase the share of renewables in the grid, bringing down carbon emissions.
The approved list includes 108 electricity, 77 gas, 7 oil and 3 smart grids projects.
The projects will benefit from the following advantages:
- Enhanced transparency and improved public consultation;
- Accelerated permit granting procedures (binding three-and-a-half-years' time limit);
- Improved, faster and better streamlined environmental assessment;
- A single national competent authority will act as a one-stop-shop for permit granting procedures;
- Improved regulatory treatment by allocating costs according to the net benefits, and regulatory incentives;
- Possibility of receiving financial assistance under Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) in the form of grants and innovative financial instruments.
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