Gas

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• Europe
  • Overview
  • Market Reform
  • Infrastructure Initiatives
  • EU Network Codes

Infrastructure Initiatives

At the end of 2010, the Commission published an energy infrastructure ‘blueprint’ for 2020 and beyond. In the ENA response we agreed there was a need to streamline and accelerate planning procedures, both transmission and distribution, across Europe. Fixed time limits for final planning decisions could be very helpful.

The UK Government and other Member States have already indicated they do not want Commission interference in planning and approvals issues, which are seen as exclusively national competences.

In terms of communications with the public, in the UK we have the Localism Bill, which is intended to encourage early and effective involvement of local inhabitants in the decision making process, with guidelines aimed at increasing the transparency and predictability of the process for all parties. 

Clearly regional and national Governments should take the lead in terms of overall responsibility for public policy communications, but there could be a supporting role for the European Union (EU) to reinforce these messages through an EU communications strategy. UK networks companies are already actively communicating to the wider public the scale of the work anticipated to deliver the 2020 and 2050 targets.

In October, the Commission intends publishing formal legislative proposals. The new legislation will address, amongst other things: infrastructure project financing; permitting; cost allocation of projects between Member States; and the criteria for the selection of projects of ‘European Interest’ eligible for some (limited) EU funding. The focus will, inevitably, be on transmission projects, although we have made the point in ENA submissions that distribution projects face similar challenges, in terms of planning delays and securing finances.