Following the adoption of the 2020 CEF Energy Work Programme on 13 March 2020, the 2020 CEF Energy call for proposals has opened, offering funding to support projects of common interest in the energy sector, in the areas of electricity, gas, smart grids and cross-border carbon dioxide networks.
The European Commission will release €979.6 million of EU funding for supporting energy infrastructure projects of common interest that have significant societal benefits and that ensure greater solidarity among Member States.
The 2020 CEF Energy Work Programme will contribute to the further development and implementation of projects of common interest (PCIs) in the energy sector, namely in electricity (including smart grids), gas and cross-border carbon dioxide networks.
All the information about 2020 CEF Energy general objectives and actions planned for 2020 can be found in the Work Programme and its annex adopted on 13 March 2020.
To be eligible to apply for CEF funding, projects must be designated as Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) in the EU’s fourth PCI list. PCIs are considered essential for completing the EU's internal energy market, and are required to have a significant impact on at least two EU countries.
Proposed projects, which can be either studies or works, will be evaluated against several criteria. These include their state of maturity, their cross-border dimension, and to what extent they will remove bottlenecks and end energy isolation. In particular these criteria are as follows:
- Ending energy isolation
- Increasing competitiveness by promoting the integration on the internal energy market and the interoperability of electricity and gas networks across borders
- Enhancing the Union's security of supply
- Integrating energy from renewable sources nd developing smart energy networks
- Eliminating energy bottlenecks
- Completion of the internal energy market
- Contributing to sustainable development and protection of the environment, inter alia by the integration of energy from renewable sources and by the development of smart energy networks and cross-border carbon dioxide networks
- Providing other benefits, e.g. in relation to the European "Green Deal" objectives
Deadline for submission: 27 May 2020
Evaluation of proposals: June - September 2020
Adoption of the Selection Decision: October 2020
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