11 Amendments of Jessica POLFJÄRD related to 2020/0360(COD)
Amendment 249 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The Commission has set out, in its Communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘The European Green Deal’21 , a new growth strategy that aims to transform the Union into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy, where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use. The Commission’s communication on the Climate Target Plan22 proposing to increase the greenhouse gas emissions’ reduction level to at least 55% by 2030 - an ambition that was endorsed by the European Council on 11 December 2020 - and its underlying impact assessment confirms that the energy mix of the future will be very different from the one of today and underpins the necessity to review and if necessary to revise the energy legislation. The current energy infrastructure investments are clearly insufficient to transform and build the energy infrastructure of the future. That also means infrastructure needs to be in place to support the European energy transition, including rapid electrification, scaling up of renewable and fossil free electricity generation, the increased use of renewable and low-carbon gases, energy system integration and a higher uptake of innovative solutions. _________________ 21 Commission Communication - The European Green Deal, COM(2019) 640 final of 11 December 2019. 22 Commission Communication - Stepping up Europe’s 2030 climate ambition, Investing in a climate-neutral future for the benefit of our people, COM(2020) 562 final of 17 September 2020
Amendment 262 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The TEN-E policy is a central instrument in the development of an internal energy market and necessary to achieve the European Green Deal objectives. To achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and higher levels of greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2030, Europe will need a more integrated energy system, relying on higher levels of electrification based on renewable and fossil free sources and the decarbonisation of the gas sector. The TEN-E policy can ensure that the Union energy infrastructure development supports the required energy transition to climate neutrality in line with the energy efficiency first principle.
Amendment 265 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Directives (EU) 2019/94424 and 2009/73/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council25 provide for an energy internal market. While there has been very significant progress in the completion of the internal energy market, there is still room for improvement by a better utilisation of existing energy infrastructure, the integration of the increasing amounts of renewable and fossil free energy and system integration. _________________ 24Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on common rules for the internal market for electricity and amending Directive 2012/27/EU OJ L 158, 14.6.2019, p. 125. 25Directive 2009/73/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas and repealing Directive 2003/55/EC (OJ L 211, 14.8.2009, p. 94).
Amendment 320 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 requires a candidate project of common interest to prove a significant contribution to at least one criterion from a set of criteria in the process for the elaboration of the Union list, which may, but does not need to, include sustainability. That requirement, in line with the specific needs of the internal energy market at the time, enabled development of projects of common interest which addressed only security of supply risks even if they did not demonstrate benefits in terms of sustainability. However, given the evolution of the Union infrastructure needs and the decarbonisation goals, the Conclusions of the 2020 July European Council, according to which “Union expenditure should be consistent with Paris Agreement objectives and the "do no harm" principle of the European Green Deal, sustainability in terms of the integration of renewable and fossil free energy sources into the grid or the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as relevant, should be assessed in order to ensure that TEN-E policy is coherent with energy and climate policy objectives of the Union. The sustainability of CO2 transport networks is addressed by their purpose to transport carbon dioxide.
Amendment 334 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) Furthermore, to achieve the Union’s 2030 and 2050 climate and energy targets and climate neutrality objective, Europe needs to significantly scale up renewable and fossil free electricity generation. The existing infrastructure categories for electricity transmission and storage are crucial for the integration of the significant increase in renewable and fossil free electricity generation in the power grid. In addition, that requires stepping up investment in offshore renewable energy30 . Coordinating long- term planning and development of offshore and onshore electricity grids should also be addressed. In particular, offshore infrastructure planning should move away from the project-by-project approach towards a coordinated comprehensive approach ensuring the sustainable development of integrated offshore grids in line with the offshore renewable potential of each sea basin, environmental protection and other uses of the sea. _________________ 30 Offshore Strategy Communication
Amendment 376 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 41
Recital 41
(41) The internal energy market legislation requires that tariffs for access to networks provide appropriate incentives for investment. However, several types of projects of common interest are likely to bring externalities that can possibly not be fully captured in and recovered through the regular tariff system. In applying the internal energy market legislation, national regulatory authorities should ensure a stable and predictable regulatory and financial framework with incentives for projects of common interest, including long-term incentives, that are commensurate with the level of specific risk of the project. That should apply in particular to cross-border projects, innovative transmission technologies for electricity allowing for large scale integration of renewable and fossil free energy, of distributed energy resources or of demand response in interconnected networks, and energy technology and digitalisation projects which are likely to incur higher risks than similar projects located within one Member State, or, promise higher benefits for the Union. Moreover, projects with high operational expenditure should also have access to appropriate incentives for investment. In particular, offshore grids for renewable energy which serve the dual functionality of electricity interconnectors and connecting renewable offshore generation projects, are likely to incur higher risks than comparable onshore infrastructure projects, due to their intrinsic connection to generation assets which brings regulatory risks, financing risks such as the need for anticipatory investments, market risks and risks pertaining to the use of new innovative technologies.
Amendment 380 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 46
Recital 46
(46) Projects of common interest should be eligible to receive Union financial assistance for studies and, under certain conditions, for works pursuant to Regulation (EU)… [on a Connecting Europe Facility as proposed by COM(2018)438] in the form of grants or in the form of innovative financial instruments to ensure that tailor-made support can be provided to those projects of common interest which are not viable under the existing regulatory framework and market conditions. It is important to avoid any distortion of competition, in particular between projects contributing to the achievement of the same Union priority corridor. Such financial assistance should ensure the necessary synergies with the Structural Funds, in order to finance smart energy distribution networks and with the Union renewable and fossil free energy financing mechanism pursuant to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/129441 . A three-step logic should apply to investments in projects of common interest. First, the market should have the priority to invest. Second, if investments are not made by the market, regulatory solutions should be explored, if necessary the relevant regulatory framework should be adjusted, and the correct application of the relevant regulatory framework should be ensured. Third, where the first two steps are not sufficient to deliver the necessary investments in projects of common interest, it should be possible to grant Union financial assistance where the project of common interest fulfils the applicable eligibility criteria. Projects of common interest may also be eligible under the InvestEU programme, which is complementary to grant financing. _________________ 41Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1294 of 15 September 2020 on the Union renewable energy financing mechanism (OJ L 303, 17.9.2020, p. 1).
Amendment 493 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) the project contributes significantly to the decarbonisation objectives of the Union and those of the third country and to sustainability, including through the integration of renewable and fossil free energy into the grid and the transmission of renewable and fossil free generation to major consumption centres and storage sites, and;
Amendment 517 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point a – introductory part
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point a – introductory part
(a) for electricity transmission and storage projects falling under the energy infrastructure categories set out in points (1)(a), (b), (c) and (e) of Annex II, the project is to contribute significantly to sustainability through the integration of renewable and fossil free energy into the grid and the transmission of renewable and fossil free generation to major consumption centres and storage sites, and at least one of the following specific criteria:
Amendment 522 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point b – introductory part
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point b – introductory part
(b) for smart electricity grid projects falling under the energy infrastructure category set out in point (1)(d) of Annex II, the project is to contribute significantly to sustainability through the integration of renewable and fossil free energy into the grid, and at least two of the following specific criteria:
Amendment 546 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point d – introductory part
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point d – introductory part
(d) for hydrogen projects falling under the energy infrastructure categories set out in point (3) of Annex II the project is to contribute significantly to sustainability, including by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, by enhancing the deployment of renewable hydrogen and supporting variable renewable and fossil free power generation by offering flexibility and/or storage solutions. Furthermore, the project is to contribute significantly to at least one of the following specific criteria: