| Meeting DG
TREN - FP7 project coordinators on the energy infrastructure package |
On January 28th 2010, the European Commission (DG-TREN) organized a meeting in Brussels with the coordinators of the three FP7 Projects REALISEGRID, IRENE-40 and SUSPLAN.
Aim of the meeting, to which Mr. Migliavacca as the coordinator of REALISEGRID took part, was to provide the Commission with the “view” of the three projects on crucial policy issues relevant to the on-going revision of the TEN-Guidelibes and, in general, of the EC approach on the expansion of the European transmission backbones.
The consulted themes were the following:
How will the EU grid develop? Give us your vision for the EU grid in 2020, 2030, 2040,… (Super Grids, Mediterranean solar grid, smart grids, smart metering, decentralized / local generation, micro-generation, etc.)
What criteria could be developed/used to determine a "priority European grid"? These criteria should reflect i.a. the objectives of efficient functioning of the internal market, security of supply, 20/20/20, territorial cohesion...
What do you consider to be the main barriers to the development of a European grid? How far can they be addressed at national/regional level, and when should the EU act?
Authorization procedures; environmental issues; local opposition:
o What circumstances justify an EU intervention?
o What should the EU do? (under grounding/visual technical solutions/cost etc.)
o Role of Research and how to ensure a better cooperation between Research and infrastructure promoters?
What sort of support should the EU provide to developers of new energy networks? When is it appropriate to use European public money to support grid infrastructure development?
The consistency of the revised TEN-E infrastructure and solidarity instrument and ENTSO-E plan is a crucial element. How should the revised TEN-E instrument be designed to be consistent with the future ENTSO-E plans?
Mr. Jean-Arnold Vinois, head of the Unit responsible for “Energy Policy and security of supply” introduced the meeting by underlining the importance and delicacy of the on-going revision of the EC policy on the development of the transmission network, revision thas should be finished by the end of the year.
Ms. Catharina Sikow-Magny, responsible for the Recovery Plan, moderated the debate and the following Q&A session. At the end, she expressed satisfaction for the received inputs and announced a second meeting to be programmed indicatively within two months.