Opinion Factsheet 

Revised Trans-European Energy Infrastructure Regulation fit for the Green and Digital Transition

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Opinion Number: CDR 722/2021
Commission: ENVE
Status: Adopted
Date: 01/07/2021
 
Making sure that local and regional concerns are included the legislative proposal
Highlighting problems that local and regional authorities have experienced in practice within the framework of this legislation
Highlighting the key role of the regional groups in the projects of common interest (PCI) identification and selection process, where it is of paramount importance to guarantee a relevant regional and local representation;
Supporting the obligation for all projects to meet mandatory sustainability criteria and to follow the "do no harm" principle as set out in the European Green Deal as a big step forward towards meeting the EU's collective green goals;
Stressing the need for a robust permit granting framework. Currently, permit granting procedures are still very lengthy; the setting up of one-stop shops with sufficient competences, power of decision and bound by clear deadlines is essential in this regard;
Highlighting the need to provide a framework for the aggregation of several smaller projects, in order to allow local and regional authorities to be able to set up certain aggregated projects and to potentially obtain financing for these efforts;
THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS



- is pleased to see that the future framework will preserve the key role of the regional groups in the projects of common interest (PCI) identification and selection process, where it is of paramount importance to guarantee a relevant regional and local representation;

- welcomes the obligation for all projects to meet mandatory sustainability criteria and to follow the "do no harm" principle as set out in the European Green Deal as a big step forward towards meeting the EU's collective green goals;

- calls for the priority status of PCIs to be carefully considered and for priority not to be given to any projects that would have a negative impact on climate or protected habitats or species; stresses the need for a robust permit granting framework. Currently, permit granting procedures are still very lengthy; the setting up of one-stop shops with sufficient competences, power of decision and bound by clear deadlines is essential in this regard;

- welcomes the growing attention being given in the EU to the role of clean hydrogen; recalls that renewable hydrogen should be the priority and low-carbon hydrogen should be used for decarbonisation purposes until renewable hydrogen can play this role alone; calls therefore on the EU institutions, Member States and industry to ramp up renewable electricity and hydrogen capacity; calls on the Commission for a clear taxonomy of "renewable" gases;

- believes that a more open-minded approach to the definition of cross-border projects should be adopted, in order to consider not only large transmission projects but also local, decentralised and often participative smart grid projects without physical borders;

- calls on the Commission to provide a framework for the aggregation of several smaller projects, in order to allow local and regional authorities to be able to set up certain aggregated projects and to potentially obtain financing for these efforts;

- underlines the need to create synergies between TEN-T, TEN-E and alternative fuel strategies.
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