Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

▸8 unchanged paragraphs

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure, amending Regulations (EU) 2019/942, (EU) 2019/943 and (EU) 2024/1789 and repealing Regulation (EU) 2022/869

(COM(2025)1006 – C100342/2025 – 2025/0399(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2025)1006),

– having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 172 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C100342/2025),

– having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the reasoned opinions submitted, within the framework of Protocol No 2 on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, by the Czech Senate, the Italian Chamber of Deputies and the Swedish Parliament, asserting that the draft legislative act does not comply with the principle of subsidiarity,

Changed– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of …,18 March 2026,

– having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 5 March 2026,

– having regard to Rule 60 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety,

Changed– having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (A100000/2026),(A10-0231/2026),

1. Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Change 1

RemovedRecital 8: (8) In the current geopolitical context, it is important to ensure the uninterrupted flow of electricity across borders to ensure security of supply. This depends not only on the resilience of interconnectors between Member States, but also on the resilience of critical network elements. Therefore, this Regulation should introduce a new infrastructure category in the form of investments into equipment and installations directly connected to and designed to enhance the critical network elements’ resilience and protection, while ensuring that those investments do not lead to a disproportionate increase in electricity costs for final customers. That new infrastructure category should cover critical network elements, as set out in Regulation (EU) 2019/943 of the European Parliament and of the Council17, that support network security and supply security in accordance with the Member States’ crisis scenarios and risk preparedness plans under Regulation (EU) 2019/941 of the European Parliament and of the Council18.

AddedAMENDMENTS BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT*

RemovedRecital 9: (9) While foreign investment can bring benefits such as increased financing options for capital-intensive projects, it can also increase the Union’s exposure to energy security related risks such as disruptions or reduced reliability of cross-border flows, in particular where such foreign investments originate from third countries with diverging geopolitical interests from the Union, as well as potential market distortions and an increase in electricity costs for final customers. Transparency regarding ultimate beneficiary ownership, including information on the ultimate investor and participation in the capital as set out in Regulation (EU) 2019/452 of the European Parliament and of the Council19 , of cross-border energy infrastructure and projects with a cross-border impact is therefore crucial to prevent the Union from becoming dependent on non-trusted third countries and should be taken into consideration when selecting projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest. In order to ensure that such risks are duly addressed before priority status is granted and throughout the project lifecycle, projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest should be subject, where applicable, to Union and national foreign direct investment screening before such status is granted and before any final investment decision is taken. Any material change in the ownership, control or governance of the project promoter or project company that may affect control, influence o…

Addedto the Commission proposal

RemovedRecital 10: (10) To ensure cost-efficient and accelerated grid development and access to grids in the Union, non-wire solutions should play a prominent role in addressing system needs next to physical grid reinforcement, as they may be deployed faster and at lower costs, while ensuring that the choice between solutions is based on minimising overall system costs and the impact on final electricity prices. Deploying such technologies should be considered before investing in the expansion of grid infrastructure. To this aim, a new infrastructure category should cover investments in non-wire technologies and digital solutions, including software solutions, where they are deployed on existing critical network elements relevant for cross-border trade, and where bringing quantified benefits for market integration in terms of increasing cross-border capacity.

Added---------------------------------------------------------

RemovedRecital 19: (19) Sustainability in terms of the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid or the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as relevant, is a key criterion for ensuring that trans-European energy networks policy is coherent with the Union’s targets for energy and climate and the 2050 climate neutrality objectives, taking into account the specificities of each Member State in reaching the climate neutrality objective. To this end, sustainability is one of the assessment criteria to be applied for all project categories. When applying that criterion, the impact on final electricity prices should also be taken into account.

AddedProposal for a

RemovedRecital 20: (20) There is a growing need for stronger market integration and interconnectivity of the networks of the Union with those of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the Energy Community. Therefore, the benefits and costs of projects of mutual interest between a Member State and a country in the EEA or a Energy Community contracting party should be considered cumulatively for the Union and for the country concerned in the EEA or the contracting party concerned in the Energy Community, while also taking into account the impact of those projects on price convergence and electricity costs in the different Member States.

AddedREGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

RemovedRecital 53: (53) Considering that the selected scenario and its underlying assumptions play a major role in the Union-wide network development planning process, the Commission should play a central role in defining it. That should help streamline the inputs and ensure better compliance with the Union’s policy targets. It is also appropriate for the Union-wide ten-year network development plans to be based on one central scenario, complemented by sensitivity analyses, because the main purpose of the scenario is to provide a common basis for the assessment of the infrastructure gaps and benefits of candidate projects of common interest and project of mutual interest. The increased importance of the central scenario requires close involvement of the ENTSO for Electricity, the ENNOH, and the ENTSO for Gas, the Member States and the Agency to ensure that relevant data and information is provided, and that the scenario is aligned with national developments. That scenario and the related sensitivities should be developed in a manner consistent with relevant national planning instruments, including national energy and climate plans and national network development plans, while ensuring the comparability of assumptions at Union level. They should also be grounded in robust and up-to-date operational data, including data on network utilisation, capacity availability and flexibility resources, and those assumptions should be made sufficiently transparent to allow verification of the correspondence …

Addedon guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure, amending Regulations (EU) 2019/942, (EU) 2019/943 and (EU) 2024/1789 and repealing Regulation (EU) 2022/869

RemovedRecital 55: (55) Making the process of identifying infrastructure needs more comprehensive and granular should enable better matchmaking of planned projects with the needs for transmission capacity expansion. It should also enable a follow-up process leading to identifying new solutions which could address unmatched needs. TSOs should be the primary entity to suggest possible projects to address the gaps, but alternative solutions coming from other stakeholders should also be considered. Therefore, a needs matching process should be an outcome of regional cooperation and involve relevant stakeholders in the discussions. The central role of the Commission in the process should enhance regional cooperation and involvement of Member States, national regulatory authorities, project promoters and other relevant stakeholders in the effort to come up with the most adequate projects, be it non-wire or infrastructure solutions to match any possible unaddressed needs. As a last resort, the Commission should have the right to launch a call for proposals to overcome insufficient progress in addressing persisting gaps. It should be ensured that eligible projects are included as soon as possible in the subsequent national development plans, Union-wide ten-year network development plan and the Union list. To strengthen the problem-driven character of the framework, regional groups should indicate how each candidate project addresses a demonstrated infrastructure need, or why it is otherwise justified t…

Added(Text with EEA relevance)

RemovedRecital 60: (60) The importance of ensuring that only infrastructure projects for which no reasonable alternative solutions exist may receive the status of project of common interest or project of mutual interest also entails that the ‘energy efficiency first’ principle should be taken into account in the energy infrastructure planning and in the work of the regional groups in establishing the regional lists of proposed projects. In accordance with the energy efficiency first principle, all relevant alternatives to new infrastructure for ensuring future infrastructure needs, should be considered. Special consideration should be given to non-wire or digital solutions, use of demand response or non-fossil flexibility, which could improve overall efficiency of the networks. To this aim, these solutions should be considered with priority by system operators when assessing projects for system expansion. A cost-efficient utilisation of networks should also be incentivised, notably through the use of locational and time-of-use price signals in network charges and support schemes. That assessment should also take into account the extent to which projects contribute to reducing persistent price divergences between electricity bidding zones caused by structural congestion, improving system utilisation and capacity availability, and avoiding the underutilisation of assets. The identification of infrastructure needs and the assessment of projects should therefore reflect not only missing assets, but…

AddedTHE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1: 1. This Regulation lays down guidelines for the timely development and interoperability of the priority corridors and areas of trans-European energy infrastructure (energy infrastructure priority corridors and areas) set out in Annex I, that contribute to ensuring climate change mitigation, in particular achieving the Union’s targets for energy and climate and its climate neutrality objective by 2050 at the latest, and to ensuring interconnections, energy security, market and system integration and competition that benefits all Member States, as well as affordability of energy prices. This Regulation should ensure that the development of energy infrastructure is carried out at the lowest overall cost to the system and without having a disproportionate impact on final electricity prices.

AddedHaving regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 172 thereof,

RemovedArticle 3 – paragraph 7 a (new): 7a. All projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest shall be subject to applicable Union and national foreign direct investment screening before a priority status pursuant to Article 7 is granted and before any final investment decision is taken. Any material post-designation changes in the ownership, control or governance of the project promoter or project company that may affect control, influence or decision-making rights shall be notified without delay to the competent national authorities and to the Commission.

AddedHaving regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point c – point ii a (new): (iia) it constitutes the most cost-effective solution for addressing the identified infrastructure needs;

AddedAfter transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point c – point ii b (new): (iib) it does not lead to a disproportionate increase in electricity costs for final consumers.

AddedHaving regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee,

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 a (new): As regards energy storage projects falling within infrastructure category set out in Annex II, point (1)(c), the assessment shall be carried out on the basis of cost-benefit analysis methodologies consistent with those applicable to transmission projects. Such methodologies shall include, where relevant, indicators relating to flexibility, resource adequacy, reduction of renewable energy source curtailment, system resilience, and alleviation of cross-border congestion.

AddedHaving regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions,

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 3 – point a – point i: (i) market integration, including through lifting the energy isolation of at least one Member State and reducing energy infrastructure bottlenecks, competition, interoperability and system flexibility, including by contributing to the reduction of price divergences between electricity bidding zones;

AddedActing in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure,

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 3 – point a – point ii a (new): (iia) reducing or avoiding an increase in electricity costs for final consumers;

AddedWhereas:

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 5 a (new): 5a. In order to facilitate the assessment of all projects that could be eligible as projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest, and that could be included in a regional list, each Group shall indicate how each project addresses a demonstrated infrastructure capacity need identified in the infrastructure needs identification reports pursuant to Article 12, or, where no such need is identified, why it is otherwise justified that it be included in the list.

Added(1) The Commission Communication of 26 February 2025 on the “Clean Industrial Deal” sets out a joint roadmap for competitiveness and decarbonisation. Securing affordable energy is a key condition for the competitiveness of the Union industry, especially for energy-intensive sectors. Access to affordable energy is therefore a cornerstone of the Clean Industrial Deal as well as the Action Plan for Affordable Energy. At the same time, decarbonisation policies are a powerful driver of growth when they are well integrated with industrial, competition, economic and trade policies as set out in the Commission Communication of 29 January 2025 on a “Competitiveness Compass for the EU”. With Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council, the Union has set out an ambitious framework to become a decarbonised economy by 2050. The development of energy infrastructure should also contribute to ensuring energy system resilience and climate change adaptation, while enabling low energy system costs and avoiding a disproportionate impact on final electricity prices.

RemovedArticle 5 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new): (da) assessment of the expected impact of the project on electricity costs for final consumers.

Added(2) As part of the ambition of Regulation (EU) 2021/1119, the binding Union level target for renewable energy for 2030 has been increased to 42.5 % renewable energy in the Union’s energy mix by 2030, aiming for 45 %, and the binding Union level target for energy efficiency has been made more ambitious, with a reduction of Union final energy consumption by 11.7 % by 2030, compared to 2020 projections. With the intermediate target of at least 55 % net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction compared with 1990 levels by 2030 well on track, on 2 July 2025 the Commission proposed an amendment to Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 setting a Union climate target for 2040 of a 90 % reduction in net GHG emissions, compared to 1990 levels, with a view to achieving the Union’s commitments under the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

RemovedArticle 5 – paragraph 6 – subparagraph 1: By 30 April of each year in which a new Union list should be adopted, the Agency shall submit to the Groups a consolidated report for the projects on the Union list that are subject to the competence of national regulatory authorities, evaluating the progress achieved and expected changes in project costs, as well as their impact on network tariffs and final electricity prices, and, where appropriate, make recommendations on how to overcome the delays and difficulties encountered. That consolidated report shall also evaluate the implementation of Article 3(6) and (7) as regards projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest.

Added(3) Infrastructure needs to be in place to support the Union energy transition in accordance with those targets, including rapid electrification, scaling up renewable and fossil fuel free electricity generation, the increased use of renewable and low-carbon gases, geothermal generation, energy integration and a higher uptake of innovative solutions. Current investments in cross-border energy infrastructure are clearly insufficient to transform and build the energy infrastructure needed to support those targets and there is a substantial gap between our cross-border electricity infrastructure needs and the speed and level of infrastructure development at both the transmission and distribution grid level. For electricity, about half of cross-border electricity needs for 2030 (41 of 88 GW) will remain unaddressed, and this gap is expected to increase the next decade. By 2040, cross-border electricity capacity needs will amount to 108 GW.. Increased investments in energy infrastructure are therefore necessary, and the Draghi report pointed in particular to the need to rapidly increase the deployment of cross-border energy infrastructure to decarbonise Europe’s industry. In the Clean Industrial Deal and the accompanying “Action Plan for Affordable Energy”, the Commission underlined the crucial role of completing the Energy Union by investing in energy infrastructure and cross-border grids for safeguarding the competitiveness of Union industry and the prosperity of people as well as for ensuring the affordability and resilience of the energy system and security of energy supply.

RemovedArticle 5 – paragraph 7 – point e a (new): (ea) where delays or cost increases are attributable to shortcomings in project implementation, national regulatory authorities shall ensure that such costs are not borne in full by final customers.

Added(3a) The Action Plan for Affordable Energy indicates that every person, community and business should benefit from the clean transition, and identifies investments in modernising and expanding the electricity network as essential to facilitate the deployment of renewables, electrification and new industrial and business demand. While the Union electrification rate was only 23,4 % in 2024, the Clean Industrial Deal and the Affordable Energy Action Plan introduced a key performance indicator on the share of electricity in final energy consumption, setting 32 % by 2030 as reference. The Commission communication of 22 April 2026 entitled “AccelerateEU - Energy Union” identifies accelerating electrification as an urgent measure to end the Union's exposure to fossil fuel price shocks and import dependencies, and announced the introduction of an indicative Union-wide electrification target of 46 % by 2040 in the Commission communication of 17 July 2026 entitled “Electrification Action Plan”.

RemovedArticle 11 – paragraph 1: 1. By [two years after entry into force] and at least every four years thereafter, the Commission shall develop a central scenario and sensitivity analysis for the electricity, hydrogen and gas sectors to be used for the Union-wide ten-year network development plans referred to in: Article 48 of Regulation (EU) 2019/943 and Article 59 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789, the infrastructure needs identification process referred to in Article 12 of this Regulation, the energy system wide cost-benefit analysis referred to in Article 14 of this Regulation, and the cross-border cost allocation referred to in Article 17 of this Regulation, ensuring consistency across all planning processes and enabling a coherent assessment of system-wide performance and infrastructure needs.

Added(4) Regulation (EU) 2022/869 of the European Parliament and of the Council laid down guidelines for the timely development and interoperability of priority corridors and areas of trans-European energy infrastructure in order to contribute to ensuring climate change mitigation in particular achieving the Union’s 2030 targets for energy and climate change and the climate neutrality objective by 2050 at the latest and to ensuring interconnections, energy security, market and system integration and competition that benefits all Member States, as well as affordability of energy prices and energy system resilience. In particular, Regulation (EU) 2022/869 provides for the identification of projects of common interest and of projects of mutual interest, facilitates their implementation and determines the conditions for eligibility of those projects for Union financial assistance. However, given their cross-border nature, projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest not only create significant positive externalities and foster solidarity, but also entail specific challenges for project promoters, due to their multi-jurisdictional nature, coordination challenges and an often asymmetrical distribution of costs and benefits. They therefore continue to require a Union level framework.

RemovedArticle 11 – paragraph 2 – point b: (b) take a cross-sectoral approach ensuring consistency between the electricity, hydrogen and gas sectors, optimizing system efficiency, including through the efficient use of existing and planned infrastructure and the integration of flexibility resources across sectors;

Added(5) While the objectives of Regulation (EU) 2022/869 remain largely valid, the current trans-European energy networks framework should be adjusted to fully reflect the expected changes to the energy system that will result from the new policy context and in particular the 2050 climate neutrality objective and the proposed intermediary target for 2040. In particular, there is a need for more integrated grid planning to support an increasingly interdependent and decentralised internal energy market, faster permit granting processes and to ensure the security and resilience of cross-border energy infrastructure to be adequately reflected in the revised trans-European energy networks framework. Besides the new political context and objectives, technological development has been rapid in the past decade. That development should be taken into account in the energy infrastructure categories covered by this Regulation, the selection criteria for projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest as well as the priority corridors and areas. At the same time, the provisions of this Regulation should not affect a Member State’s right to determine the conditions for exploiting its energy resources, its choice between different energy sources and the general structure of its energy supply, in accordance with Article 194 of the Treaty.

RemovedArticle 11 – paragraph 2 – point c a (new): (ca) be developed in consistency with relevant national planning instruments of the Member States, including national energy and climate plans established pursuant to Articles 3 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, and in accordance with national network development plans adopted pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) 2019/943 and Article 64 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789, while ensuring consistency and comparability of assumptions at Union level;