Oettinger’s Cold Comfort: Projects of Common Interest

Before leaving office, outgoing European Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger said that projects that were not awarded European grants for energy infrastructures will be admitted to take part to the next round of applications, adding that the next call for proposals under CEF energy will be launched in 2015.

‘Under the first call for CEF-energy the European Commission received 64 eligible proposals requesting a total of €1.37 billion of financial support. Proposals that were initially rejected during evaluation because they were not mature at the time of the closure of the call may again apply for funding during the next call scheduled for 2015,’ reads a memo released by the European Commission.

The EU will normally cover up to 50% of the eligible costs, but European authorities contemplated possible cases in which the threshold can be infringed. 

‘In exceptional cases - that is, when a project contributes significantly to the security of supply, boosts energy solidarity between Member States or offers innovative solutions - the EU support for construction works can amount to 75 per cent of the costs.’

At the EAGC Conference 2014, some experts voiced doubts about the projects of common interest, saying that there are too many and that Brussels should rather focus on a shorter list of new projects.