The EU funding comes from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the European support program for trans-European infrastructure, the EC said. The 2019 CEF Energy call for proposals will be open until June 13, the Commission noted, adding that to apply for CEF Energy funding, projects must first be designated Projects of Common Interest (PCIs).
The EC explained that these PCIs need to have a significant impact on at least two EU countries and must increase competitiveness, enhance the EU’s energy security and contribute to sustainable development and environmental protection.
"The received proposals for financing, which can be for studies or construction works, will then be evaluated against several additional criteria. These criteria include their state of maturity, their benefits in terms of security of supply, solidarity or innovation, and to what extent public support is needed to remove financing bottlenecks," it said.
CEF-Energy envisages a total budget of €5.35 billion for trans-European energy infrastructure for the period 2014-2020. The Union-wide list of PCIs is updated every two years. The Commission published the latest PCI list in November 2017. CEF-Energy has allocated €3.4 billion to PCIs to date.
(Anadolu Agency)