Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

Added(5a) Union-wide integration of energy infrastructure should be accompanied by effective and well-functioning energy markets. Grid and infrastructure expansion should support market integration, and the effects of projects on the relevant markets should therefore be taken into account when assessing their impacts. The effects on price stability and resource adequacy should also be considered.

RemovedArticle 11 – paragraph 3: 3. The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO for Electricity), the European Network of Network Operators for Hydrogen (ENNOH), the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSO for Gas) and the Member States shall provide, upon request from the Commission, the data and information necessary for the development of the central scenario and sensitivity analysis referred to in paragraph 1. That includes, but is not limited to market and network data, such as demand and supply projections, characteristics of power generation, hydrogen production and networks, flexibility sources, imports assumptions, as well as climatic years data, including data on network utilisation, availability of capacity and flexibility resources. The Commission shall set a reasonable time limit within which the data and information is to be provided, taking into account the complexity and urgency of the data and information required. Where an addressee does not provide the information requested within the time limit set by the Commission or supplies incomplete information, the Commission may by decision require the information to be provided. The Commission shall request the Agency to verify the data submitted to the Commission, including by verifying national data with the relevant national regulatory authorities.

Added(6) The implementation of the identified 13 trans-European energy infrastructure priority corridors and thematic areas is essential for the achievement of the Union’s energy and climate targets including further market integration, energy security, the 2050 climate neutrality objective as well as affordability of energy prices. Those priorities cover investments in electricity transmission and storage, offshore grids for renewable energy, smart electricity grids, equipment and installation designed to ensure protection and resilience of existing critical network elements, hydrogen transmission, storage and terminals, electrolysers, and the transport and storage of carbon dioxide as well as monitoring, control and digitalisation equipment and installation essential for existing high-voltage networks of cross-border relevance. In addition, those priorities should contribute to the resilience and climate adaptation of energy infrastructure and to the efficient functioning of the energy system.

RemovedArticle 11 – paragraph 4: 4. The Commission shall consult the Agency, national regulatory authorities, the ENTSO for Electricity, the ENNOH, the ENTSO for Gas, the European entity for the cooperation of electricity distribution system operators in the European Union (EU DSO Entity), the Member States as well as other relevant stakeholders on the data collected for the purpose of the central scenario development process, assumptions and their use in the development of the central scenario, including the consistency of the data provided by the Member States with their national planning instruments.

Added(6a) Achieving the Union’s climate neutrality, security of supply and industrial competitiveness objectives requires the timely deployment and integration of net-zero technologies, in line with technological neutrality. Cross-border cooperation can facilitate their deployment where it addresses coordination needs or delivers system-wide benefits. Therefore, this Regulation should support cross-border energy and infrastructure projects contributing to the deployment of net-zero technologies in accordance with Union law and without prejudice to Member States’ right to determine their energy mix in accordance with the Treaties.

RemovedArticle 11 – paragraph 8: 8. The Commission, taking into account the views of the Agency, the Member States, national regulatory authorities, and relevant stakeholders, shall develop sensitivity analyses to the central scenario. The sensitivity analysis shall be based on the observed evolution of supply and demand, on the basis of available evidence and implementation policies. The Commission shall include a sensitivity analysis in the delegated act referred to in paragraph 6 of this Article.

Added(7) The Union’s energy infrastructure should be upgraded in order to increase its resilience against natural or man-made disasters, adverse effects of climate change, deliberate hostile actions and threats to its security, in particular as regards European critical infrastructures pursuant to Directive 2022/2557 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Infrastructure projects should align with the principles outlined in the Commission Notice on Technical Guidance on the climate proofing of infrastructure in the period 2021-202716b. The integration from the earliest planning and design stages of ecosystem-based features into infrastructure projects can enhance efficiencies, support climate change mitigation and resilience, reduce pollution, increase biodiversity, and benefit human well-being and health, while ensuring that the infrastructure remains safe, functional and adaptable throughout its lifecycle. Where relevant, the planning and design processes should include an assessment of the potential for integrating such features. The Commission should provide guidance and a template to facilitate that assessment.

RemovedArticle 12 – paragraph 1: 1. The ENTSO for Electricity and the ENNOH respectively, shall develop an infrastructure needs identification report to identify infrastructure gaps affecting the Union’s objectives related to electricity and hydrogen, including gaps related to the efficient use of existing and planned infrastructure and the overall performance of the energy system.

Added(8) In the current geopolitical context, it is important to ensure the uninterrupted flow of electricity across borders to ensure security of supply. The uninterrupted cross-border flow of energy depends not only on the resilience of interconnectors between Member States, but also on the protection and resilience of wider energy systems. The protection of critical energy infrastructure is vital to ensure the Union’s security of energy supply, both in response to and for preparedness against emerging threats of supply disruption. Those threats include physical attacks caused by military groups, terrorists or drones, as well as cyber threats from outside or within the system. 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. That new infrastructure category should cover critical network elements, as set out in Regulation (EU) 2019/943 of the European Parliament and of the Council, 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 Council .

RemovedArticle 12 – paragraph 2 – point a: (a) be based on the central scenario developed by the Commission in accordance with Article 11 and its sensitivity analyses, which shall be used as the sole reference framework for the identification of infrastructure needs;

Added(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. 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 Council, 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.

RemovedArticle 12 – paragraph 2 – point c a (new): (ca) identify and quantify the extent to which the identified infrastructure needs are expected to be addressed by projects submitted for inclusion in the Union-wide ten-year network development plan, including any remaining gaps;

Added(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. Deploying such technologies should be considered before investing in the expansion of grid infrastructure. Their potential to address identified network needs should therefore be duly considered when assessing investment options. To this aim, a new infrastructure category should cover investments in grid-enhancing technologies and digital solutions, including software solutions, where they are deployed on existing critical network elements relevant for cross-border trade, and bring quantified benefits, including increased cross-border capacity and enhanced system resilience.

RemovedArticle 12 – paragraph 4: 4. Within six months of the publication of a central scenario and its sensitivity analysis pursuant to Article 11, the ENTSO for Electricity and the ENNOH shall submit their respective draft infrastructure needs identification report, including the assessment of how projects submitted for inclusion in the Union wide ten-year network development plan match the needs identified, and the extent to which those projects are expected to improve system performance and address the identified gaps and residual unmet needs to the TEN-E Group.

Added(10a) In order to ensure the secure, resilient and reliable functioning of the Union energy system, infrastructure should also contribute to the cyber and operational resilience of critical energy assets, including protection against cyber threats, physical disruptions and hybrid risks, in coherence with Union legislation, in particular Directives (EU) 2022/2555 and (EU) 2022/2557. To that end, investments supporting cybersecurity, detection and response systems, and physical protection against external interference should be taken into account.

RemovedArticle 12 – paragraph 5: 5. Within two months of receipt of the draft infrastructure needs identification reports by the TEN-E Group, the Agency shall assess compliance of the draft infrastructure needs identification reports, including the assessment to what extent projects submitted for inclusion in the Union wide ten-year network development plan match the needs identified, with the methodology referred to in paragraph 12 and the principles set out in Annex VII and inform the TEN-E Group. The Agency’s compliance assessment shall identify any elements of those draft infrastructure needs identification reports that do not comply with the methodology referred to in paragraph 11 of this Article or the principles set out in Annex VII and shall provide recommendations for their correction.

Added(11) A decarbonised gas and hydrogen legislative package was adopted with Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive (EU) 2024/1788 of the European Parliament and of the Council to set common rules at Union level for the transition to renewable and low-carbon gases. The infrastructure categories set out in this Regulation should be fully aligned with the objectives of that package and ensure that energy infrastructure projects have a significant cross-border impact. Where technically possible and most efficient, the possibility of repurposing existing infrastructure and equipment should be taken into account in the development of such projects.

RemovedArticle 12 – paragraph 8: 8. The Commission shall submit the final draft infrastructure needs identification report to the decision-making body of the TEN-E Group for endorsement. Before submitting the final draft infrastructure needs identification reports to the decision-making body of the TEN-E Group, the Commission may request updates and improvements with due justification and within a reasonable timeframe, where it finds that the final draft infrastructure needs identification reports do not appropriately reflect the comments from the members of the TEN-E Group or do not sufficiently demonstrate how the identified needs are expected to be addressed, and to ensure full compliance with the principles set out in Annex VII. The ENTSO for Electricity and the ENNOH respectively, shall fully address such requests within one month and re-submit the revised final draft infrastructure needs identification reports to the Commission.

Added(12) Regional groups (Groups) should be established for the purpose of proposing and reviewing projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest, leading to the establishment of regional lists of projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest. In order to ensure broad consensus, those Groups should include and ensure close cooperation between Member States, national regulatory authorities, project promoters and relevant stakeholders. The composition, the activity and decisions of those Groups should be accessible to public and published on the PCI transparency Platform website. In the context of that cooperation, national regulatory authorities should, where necessary, advise Groups, inter alia, on the feasibility of the national regulatory aspects of proposed projects and on the feasibility of the proposed timetable for regulatory approval.

RemovedArticle 12 – paragraph 12: 12. The methodology shall be developed on the basis of the principles laid down in Annex VII and shall ensure their consistent application in the infrastructure needs identification process.

Added(13) In order to increase the efficiency of the network planning and project development processes, cooperation between the Groups should be strengthened. A common Union strategic scenario should provide a consistent reference framework for network planning and project development. It is necessary that the Commission play an important role in facilitating that cooperation with a view to addressing the possible impact of projects developed within one region on other regions and ensuring consistency with the Union’s energy and climate targets and its climate neutrality objective.

RemovedArticle 13 – paragraph 1: 1. When the infrastructure needs identification report for electricity concludes that projects submitted for inclusion in the Union wide ten-year network development plan do not fully meet the infrastructure needs identified pursuant to Article 12, or where previously identified needs remain insufficiently addressed, without undue delay, the Commission shall launch a process to identify possible solutions to address the unmatched needs.

Added(14) In order to complement the Groups, several regional cooperation fora have been established with the support of the Commission. Regional cooperation within and between the fora and the Groups is a key tool to ensure deeper integration of the European energy system. The four High-Level Groups cover different European regions also with the involvement of third countries: the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan (BEMIP), the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC), the High-Level Group on Interconnections for South-West Europe (SWE) and the High-Level Group for Central and South-Eastern European Energy Connectivity (CESEC). Regional cooperation in those fora has been successful in supporting monitoring and accelerating the implementation of key energy infrastructure projects of regional dimension and of market integration actions. Consequently, those regional cooperation fora should be increasingly deployed to support the achievement of the objectives of this Regulation.

RemovedArticle 13 – paragraph 2 a (new): 2a. The Commission shall ensure transparency of the process by publishing the identified unmatched needs, the proposed solutions and the outcome of their assessment, including the extent to which those solutions are expected to address the identified needs, while ensuring the protection of commercially sensitive, confidential, security-relevant and personal data.

Added(14a) In identifying strategic infrastructure bottlenecks and priority corridors requiring accelerated delivery, the Commission and the Groups should take due account of the specific geographical and system characteristics of Member States, including island Member States, peripheral and outermost regions and Member States with limited interconnection. Such identification should not prejudice the assessment of other projects under this Regulation.

RemovedArticle 13 – paragraph 3: 3. Where the process under paragraph 2 does not identify projects capable of addressing the unmatched needs, or where the proposed projects are not sufficient to effectively address those needs, the Commission shall launch a call for proposals open to any third party capable of becoming a project promoter to propose projects capable of addressing the unmatched needs. Project promoters capable of addressing the unmatched needs shall submit eligible projects as soon as possible for inclusion in the subsequent national development plans, the Union-wide ten-year network development plan and the Union list.

Added(15) A new Union list of projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest (“the Union list”) should be established every two years. Projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest that have been completed or that no longer fulfil the relevant criteria and requirements as set out in this Regulation should not appear on the subsequent Union list. In particular, projects that have been on the Union list for longer than 10 years should be considered as outdated, and should not be included in the subsequent Union list.

RemovedArticle 13 – paragraph 4: 4. The Commission shall monitor the outcome of the process and progress of the projects referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 and closely involve the relevant Groups established in accordance with Article 3 and other relevant regional cooperation fora, including by regularly assessing whether the identified needs are being effectively addressed and by reporting on any remaining gaps in subsequent planning cycles.

Added(16) Existing projects of common interest and existing projects of mutual interest that have been on the Union list for less than 10 years and are to be included in the subsequent Union list should be subject to the same selection process for the establishment of regional lists and for the establishment of the Union list applied to proposed projects unless they have obtained an approval of the competent national regulatory authority or a final investment decision providing sufficient assurance of the construction of the projects or their construction is ongoing and they show sufficient progress in their annual report, in which case they should remain on the Union list.

RemovedArticle 14 – paragraph 2 – point c: (c) be consistent with the Union’s targets for energy and climate and its 2050 climate neutrality objective and be strictly based on and applied in accordance with the central scenario referred to in Article 11, as well as with the rules and indicators set out in Annex IV;

Added(17) Where existing projects of common interest and existing projects of mutual interest that are to be included in the following Union list are subject to the same selection process for the establishment of regional lists and for the establishment of the Union list applied to proposed projects, the administrative burden should be reduced to the extent possible, for example by using project information submitted previously in the assessment, if still up to date.

RemovedArticle 14 – paragraph 12: 12. The ENTSO for Electricity and the ENNOH shall publish in the context of each Union-wide ten-year network development plan the updated input data relevant for application of the methodologies, including calculation methods, network models, relevant load flow and market data, as well as the underlying assumptions used to assess identified infrastructure needs and their correspondence with proposed projects. These data shall be published in a sufficiently accurate form subject to restrictions under national law and relevant confidentiality agreements. The Commission and the Agency shall ensure the confidential treatment of the data received by them and by any party that carries out analytical work on the basis of those data on their behalf.

Added(18) Projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest should comply with common, transparent and objective general and specific criteria in view of their contribution to the energy policy objectives. In order to be eligible for inclusion in the Union list, proposed electricity projects, with the exception of smart electricity grids and projects specifically designed to provide protection and resilience to existing critical network elements, should be part of the latest available Union-wide ten-year network development plan. Likewise, proposed hydrogen and electrolyser projects as well as projects related to other renewable and low carbon gases such as e-methane and e-methane production projects, should be part of the latest available Union-wide ten-year network development plan.

RemovedArticle 14 – paragraph 15: 15. Starting from [April 2028] and every two years, the Agency shall establish and publish a set of indicators and corresponding reference values for the comparison of unit investment costs for comparable projects of the energy infrastructure categories included in Annex II. Project promoters shall provide the requested data to the national regulatory authorities and to the Agency. Those reference values shall be used by the ENTSO for Electricity and the ENNOH for the cost-benefit analyses carried out for subsequent Union-wide ten-year network development plans.

Added(19) Sustainability in terms of the integration of renewable and low carbon 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.

RemovedArticle 19 – paragraph 1: 1. TSOs shall set aside 35 % of the congestion rents not allocated for guaranteeing the actual availability of the allocated capacity pursuant to Article 19(2), point (a), of Regulation (EU) 2019/943 and for compensation to offshore renewable electricity generation plant operators pursuant to Article 19(2), point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2019/943, for network investments into projects on the Union list relevant to reducing interconnector congestion pursuant Article 19(2), point (b), of Regulation (EU) 2019/943. Congestion rents arising from internal bidding zone borders within a Member State shall not be subject to the obligations laid down in this paragraph.

Added(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.

RemovedArticle 19 – paragraph 1 a (new): 1a. Congestion rents arising from internal bidding zone borders within a Member State may be allocated to investments that improve the level of resource adequacy or grid connection capacity in the Member State where the congestion income has been generated.

Added(21) The Union should facilitate infrastructure projects linking Union networks directly with third-country networks which are mutually beneficial and necessary for the energy transition and the achievement of the climate targets, and which also meet the specific criteria of the relevant infrastructure categories pursuant to this Regulation. To reinforce the focus on cross-border projects and to maintain complementarity with the Union’s external policy, in the case of projects of mutual interest, the projects should directly connect a Member State with the first electricity network connection point or the first hydrogen or carbon dioxide connection point in the third country.

RemovedArticle 19 – paragraph 5 a (new): 5a. By 31 October of … [1 year after the date of entry into force of this Regulation], and every year thereafter, the Agency, taking into account the reports pursuant to Article 19(5) of Regulation (EU) 2019/943, shall publish and submit to the Commission a report assessing the use of congestion income and the fulfilment of the priority objectives set out in Article 19(2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/943. The report shall cover the 12-month period ending on 31 December of the previous year. Where appropriate, the Agency may include in the report recommendations to ensure that the congestion income is used in accordance with the conditions laid down in the methodology referred to in Article 19(4) of Regulation (EU) 2019/943. The regulatory authorities, the ENTSO for Electricity, and the transmission system operators shall provide to ACER the information necessary for the purpose of carrying out the Agency’s task under this Article.

Added(22) As regards projects of mutual interest related to electricity networks, only interconnection projects linking energy systems should be eligible, provided that their transfer capacity could be fully used for market exchanges. It is the responsibility of the respective transmission system operators (TSOs) to assess in advance the impacts of any projects on the grid security and stability in order to confirm that the project can be fully integrated into the electricity networks of the countries concerned.

RemovedAnnex IV – point 1 – point a: (a) for electricity transmission projects falling under point (1) (a), (b), (d), and (f) of Annex II , the project increases the net transfer capacity, at the border of that Member State with one or several other Member States by at least 200 Megawatts (MW) compared to the situation without commissioning of the project, including where such increase results from reinforcement of internal transmission infrastructure that demonstrably increases cross-border transfer capacity or alleviates structural congestion affecting cross-border electricity flows;

Added(23) It is necessary to ensure that projects of mutual interest, which are granted priority treatment, genuinely advance the Union’s internal market, security of supply and climate neutrality objectives. Therefore, projects of mutual interest should be eligible for inclusion in the Union list only where the policy framework of a third country involved has a high level of convergence and is supported by enforcement mechanisms, and such projects demonstrate a contribution to the Union’s and the third countries’ overall energy and climate policy objectives in terms of security of supply and decarbonisation.

RemovedAnnex IV – point 2 – point a: (a) for projects of mutual interest relating to the category set out in point (1)(a), (c), (d) and (h) of Annex II, the project increases the net transfer capacity at the border of that Member State with a third country or demonstrably contributes to system adequacy, flexibility, congestion reduction, or renewables integration of at least one Member State and brings significant benefits to at least two countries directly or indirectly concerned by the project;

Added(24) A high level of convergence of the policy framework should be presumed for the EEA or Energy Community contracting parties or can be demonstrated in case of other third countries through bilateral agreements that include relevant provisions on climate and energy policy objectives on decarbonisation and further assessed by the appropriate Group with the support of the Commission. In addition, the third country with which the Union cooperates in the development of projects of mutual interest should facilitate a similar timeline for accelerated implementation and other policy support measures, as provided for in this Regulation.

RemovedAnnex IV – point 3 – point b – point ii: (ii) assessing the impact, for the area of analysis as set out in Annex V, in terms of energy system-wide generation and transmission costs and evolution and convergence of market prices, including the reduction of persistent price divergences between bidding zones caused by structural network congestion, provided by a project under various planning scenarios, in particular taking into account the variations induced on the merit order;

Added(25) The third country involved should ensure that the section of the project of mutual interest located in the third country and any additional investments necessary for the total benefits of the project of mutual interest to be implemented, such as internal grid reinforcements, are also treated as a priority and are timely deployed to ensure full use of the project.

RemovedAnnex V – paragraph 1 – introductory part: The methodologies for cost-benefit analyses developed by the ENTSO for Electricity and the ENNOH shall be consistent with each other, taking into account sectorial specificities. The methodologies for a harmonised and transparent energy system-wide cost-benefit analysis for projects on the Union list shall be uniform for all infrastructure categories, unless specific divergences are justified. They shall address costs in the broader sense, including externalities, in view of the Union’s targets for energy and climate and its 2050 climate neutrality objective, shall be designed to assess the extent to which projects or project bundles effectively address identified infrastructure needs and shall comply with the following principles:

Added(26) In order to ensure that projects for the storage of carbon dioxide which involve third countries contribute to cross-border carbon dioxide transport and storage in a manner consistent with the Union’s climate and environmental requirements, such projects should only be eligible if they are necessary for the functioning of cross-border transport and storage of carbon dioxide and where the third country maintains and effectively enforces an adequate legal framework. This legal framework in the third country should ensure the application of standards and safeguards that prevent carbon dioxide leaks and that guarantee the safety and effectiveness of the permanent storage of carbon dioxide for the protection of climate, human health and ecosystems. Those standards and safeguards should provide a level of protection at least equivalent to that laid down in Union law. It should be presumed that the EEA or Energy Community Contracting Parties meet those standards and safeguards.

RemovedAnnex V – paragraph 1 – point 2: (2) each cost-benefit analysis shall include sensitivity analyses concerning the input data set, where relevant, including the cost of generation and greenhouse gases as well as the expected development of demand and supply, including with regard to renewable energy sources, and including the flexibility of both, and the availability of storage, the commissioning date of various projects in the same area of analysis, climate impacts and other relevant parameters, and shall assess the robustness of projects under different system conditions, including situations of network stress and high utilisation of transmission capacity;

Added(27) Projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest should be implemented as quickly as possible and should be closely monitored by the national competent authorities, the Agency and the Groups, while duly observing the requirements for stakeholder participation and environmental legislation and keeping the administrative burden for project promoters to a minimum. Particular attention should be paid to the assessment of risks as regards climate adaptation and as regards physical and cyber security, building where applicable on the requirements of Directive (EU) 2022/2557 with regard to the resilience of critical entities and the requirements of Directive 2022/2555 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to measures for a high level of cybersecurity across the Union, and project promoters should report to the national competent authorities on the measures taken resulting from the risks assessed. Project promoters should also report on the compliance with environmental legislation and demonstrate that projects do ‘no significant harm’ to the environment within the meaning of Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Project promoters should also assess, where relevant, the possible effects of projects on electricity costs for final consumers. For existing projects of common interest having reached sufficient maturity, those considerations should be taken into account during project selection for the subsequent Union list by the Groups.

RemovedAnnex V – paragraph 1 – point 3: (3) they shall establish the analysis to be carried out, based on the relevant multi-sectorial input data set by determining the impact with and without each project and shall include the relevant interdependencies with other projects and shall enable a systematic comparison between identified infrastructure needs and the contribution of each project or project bundle to addressing those needs, including the identification of residual unmet needs;

Added(28) The Commission should have the possibility to nominate European coordinators for projects facing particular difficulties or delays, in order to facilitate the implementation of projects which encounter difficulties. In selecting European coordinators, due account should be taken, in particular, of their knowledge of energy matters, including the financing and socio-economic, technical and environmental assessment of major projects, as well as experience in Union policy making.

RemovedAnnex V – paragraph 1 – point 8: (8) they shall take into account, at least, the capital expenditure, operational and maintenance expenditure costs, as well as the costs induced for the related system over the technical lifecycle of the project as a whole, such as decommissioning and waste management costs, including external costs. The methodologies shall give guidance on discount rates, technical lifetime and residual value to be used for the cost- benefit calculations. They shall furthermore include a mandatory methodology to calculate benefit-to-cost ratio and the net present value, as well as a differentiation of benefits in accordance with the level of reliability of their estimation methods, and shall include indicators reflecting improvements in system utilisation and capacity availability. Methods to calculate the climate and environmental impacts of the projects and the contribution to Union energy targets, such as renewable penetrations, energy efficiency and interconnection targets shall also be taken into account;

Added(29) The permit-granting process should neither lead to administrative burdens which are disproportionate to the size or complexity of a project, nor create barriers to the development of the trans-European networks and market access. The process should include adequate information provision and stakeholder consultation, while upholding Union or national laws regarding access to justice in environmental matters.

RemovedAnnex V – paragraph 1 – point 9: (9) they shall ensure that the climate adaptation measures taken for each project are assessed and reflect the cost of greenhouse gas emissions and that the assessment is robust and consistent with other Union policies in order to enable comparison with other solutions which do not require new infrastructures, and shall ensure that the methodologies capture long-term system risks, including the risk of underutilisation of assets, and support a phased and market-based development of infrastructure where relevant;

Added(30) Projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest should be given priority status at national level to ensure rapid administrative treatment and urgent treatment in all judicial and dispute resolution procedures relating to them.

RemovedAnnex VII – paragraph 1 – point 5 a (new): (5a) It shall analyse the ability of the Union electricity network to accommodate projected cross-border electricity exchanges under the central scenario and identify situations where network capacity may limit the efficient utilisation of generation resources across bidding zones;

Added(31) Member States that currently do not attribute the highest possible national significance to energy infrastructure projects as regards the permit-granting process, are encouraged to consider introducing such a high national significance, in particular where this could lead to a quicker permit-granting process.

RemovedAnnex VII – paragraph 1 – point 5 b (new): (5b) It shall identify structural congestion patterns that persist across scenarios and time horizons and that materially affect market integration, system efficiency or security of supply at Union level, including where such congestion leads to persistent separation of bidding zones;