Abstract
This chapter presents the legal framework for the electricity transmission line planning process at European level and highlights where there is need for reform. The legal competence for ‘energy policy’ (Article 194 TFEU) was only introduced in 2009. It is not an original EU competence detached from national planning competences, but rather the Union ‘shall contribute to the establishment and development of trans-European networks’. Consequently, although the two European legal instruments ‘Projects of Common Interest (PCI)’ and the ‘Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP)’ fulfil the tasks of achieving transparency and coordination within the European planning groups, they do not empower the EU to enforce its energy policy interests against the interests of the member state concerned. Whilst the methodological approach for the TYNDP is well-organised in that scenario planning and monitoring are used, there is still need for improvement in the integration of the public into the planning process, the overarching coordination, and the legal enforcement tools.
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Notes
- 1.
Followed by Decision No 1229/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2003 laying down a series of guidelines for trans-European energy networks and repealing Decision No 1254/96/EC and Decision No 1364/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 laying down guidelines for trans-European energy networks and repealing Decision 96/391/EC and Decision No 1229/2003/EC.
- 2.
Regulation (EC) No 680/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2007 laying down general rules for the granting of Community financial aid in the field of the trans-European transport and energy networks.
- 3.
The Third Energy Package consists of two Directives and three Regulations: Directive 2009/72/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity and repealing Directive 2003/54/EC, Directive 2009/73/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas and repealing Directive 2003/55/EC, Regulation (EC) No 714/2009 on conditions for access to the network for cross-border exchanges in electricity and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1228/2003, Regulation (EC) No 715/2009 on conditions for access to the natural gas transmission networks and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1775/2005 and Regulation (EC) No 713/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing an Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators.
- 4.
Communication from the Commission to the European Council and the European Parliament—an energy policy for Europe SEC(2007) 12/COM(2007) 1 final.
- 5.
Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2013 on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure and repealing Decision No 1364/2006/EC and amending Regulations (EC) No 713/2009, (EC) No 714/2009 and (EC) No 715/2009.
- 6.
Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2013 on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure and repealing Decision No 1364/2006/EC and amending Regulations (EC) No 713/2009, (EC) No 714/2009 and (EC) No 715/2009, recital (43).
- 7.
In addition, three priority thematic areas that relate to all Member States were defined—smart grids, electricity highways and carbon dioxide networks.
- 8.
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Energy 2020—A strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy (COM(2010) 639 final of 10.11.2010): Currently, the so-called ’20-20-20’ targets set in 2009 are still valid: Greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced by 20%, or by 30% if other industrial countries adopt comparable targets; the use of renewable energies is to be increased to 20% of final energy consumption; energy efficiency is to be increased by 20% by comparison with a development without further efforts to improve energy efficiency. For the targets up to 2030, so far the European Council has merely adopted a framework in October 2014: Inside the EU, greenhouse gas emissions are to be cut by at least 40% compared with 1990 levels, whilst the use of renewable energies is to be increased to 27% of final energy consumption (this minimum target is binding at the EU level, but will not be translated into binding targets at the national level. Instead the Member States will commit themselves to achieving targets in the context of the integrated national energy and climate protection plans); energy efficiency is to be increased by 27% by comparison with a development without further efforts to improve energy efficiency and with the option of raising that target to 30% following a review of the period up to 2020.
- 9.
See, e.g. the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council: Achieving the 10% electricity interconnection target–Making Europe’s electricity grid fit for 2020 /* COM(2015) 82 final.
- 10.
Guideline for Cost Benefit Analysis of Grid Development Projects FINAL. Approved by the European Commission on 5 February 2015
- 11.
ENTSO-E: Going from CBA 1.0 to CBA 2.0. Main improvements and why did ENTSO-E do this. 8 July 2016
- 12.
The interconnection level describes the capacity of the cross-border electricity transmission lines to other member states in relation to domestic electricity generation capacity.
- 13.
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council: Achieving the 10% electricity interconnection target Making Europe’s electricity grid fit for 2020 /* COM(2015) 82 final, p. 5 ff., 9.
- 14.
- 15.
High-voltage transmission lines have a lifespan ranging from 80 to 100 years.
- 16.
ENTSO-E, Mid-term Adequacy Forecast @ a glance 2016. Prior to 2016 this report was called the Scenario Outlook & Adequacy Forecast (SOAF).
- 17.
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank: A Framework Strategy for a Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Policy /* COM(2015) 80 final.
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Bovet, J. (2019). The Electricity Transmission Line Planning Process at European Level: Legal Framework and Need for Reforms. In: Gawel, E., Strunz, S., Lehmann, P., Purkus, A. (eds) The European Dimension of Germany’s Energy Transition. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03374-3_25
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