CEEP acknowledges a great potential of offshore renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, which can become an important element of the future EU energy system. This is why, we welcome the Commission’s initiative to draft the Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy. The deployment of RES onshore and offshore in Central and Eastern Europe would constitute a cornerstone of a swift transition towards a climate-neutral European economy. This strategy will play a vital role in supporting companies and Member States in their efforts to reshape their energy mix with an increased share of RES and other low emission sources. CEEP believes that an appropriate fine-tuning of the EU action in this sector will allow for both private and public entities to better prepare for the upcoming increase in utilisation of various low-emission energy sources and the energy sectors integration.
Given the need to speed up the deployment of offshore RES in the region, particularly in the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas, CEEP believes that it is crucial for the strategy to provide clear view on how to shape the EU legislation in this sector for the upcoming decades. We encourage the Commission to develop these ideas in a two way approach. Firstly, there is clearly a need for stable legislation at the EU level which is a key element for investment decisions, but at the same time, some challenges will have to be addressed at regional or national level. The situation in the Baltic and Black Sea offshore sectors will differ significantly from the North Sea and the Mediterranean. Therefore, the new regulations should allow for flexibility to apply to regional or national, tailor-made solutions for each maritime basin in the EU. These solutions couldbe built on experiences and architecture of well-established forums of cooperation such as BEMIP.