Green Deal Flashcards
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)
The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is a key EU funding instrument to promote growth, jobs and competitiveness through targeted infrastructure investment at European level. It supports the development of high performing, sustainable and efficiently interconnected trans-European networks in the fields of transport, energy and digital services. CEF investments fill the missing links in Europe’s energy, transport and digital backbone.
CINEA implements most of the CEF programme budget, in total €28.7 billion out of €30.4 billion (€23.7 billion for Transport, €4.6 billion for Energy, and €0.5 billion for Telecom).
Projects of common interest (PCIs)
Projects of common interest (PCIs) are key cross-border infrastructure projects that link the energy systems of EU countries.
They are intended to help the EU achieve its energy policy and climate objectives: affordable, secure and sustainable energy for all citizens and the long-term decarbonisation of the economy in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
To become a PCI, the project has to be necessary for at least 1 of the energy infrastructure priority corridors and areas mentioned in the revised TEN-E Regulation, have a significant impact on energy markets and market integration in at least 2 EU countries, boost competition on energy markets and help the EU’s energy security by diversifying sources, as well as contribute to the EU’s climate and energy goals by integrating renewables.
Projects of Mutual Interest (PMIs)
Projects of Mutual Interest (PMIs) are projects promoted by the EU in cooperation with countries outside the EU. They contribute to achieving the EU’s energy and climate objectives, as well as to their own countries’ sustainability objectives. This is a new category of projects that can be supported following the 2022 revision of the Trans-European Networks for Energy policy.
To become a PMI, the project needs to contribute significantly to the EU’s decarbonisation objectives and those of the non-EU country involved, including through the integration of renewable energy into the grid and the transmission of renewable generation to major consumption centres and storages sites.
Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015. It entered into force on 4 November 2016.
Its overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”
The Paris Agreement works on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action – or, ratcheting up – carried out by countries. Since 2020, countries have been submitting their national climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Each successive NDC is meant to reflect an increasingly higher degree of ambition compared to the previous version.
Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E)
The Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) policy is a long-standing EU instrument for connecting EU countries’ energy networks, strengthening cohesion and developing solidarity and cooperation across the EU.
revised TEN-E Regulation
entered into force in June 2022. It enhances the EU’s energy infrastructure policy and aligns it with the objectives of the European Green Deal, enabling investments to help achieve a climate-neutral energy mix by 2050. It introduces
- new and updated energy infrastructure categories and a reconfiguration of priority corridors and areas
- dedicated offshore grid planning provisions enabling EU countries’ offshore renewable ambitions by supporting the scaling up of necessary offshore grid projects
- no natural (fossil) gas projects, but support for hydrogen, electrolysers and local low-carbon and renewable gases
- an obligation for all projects to meet mandatory sustainability criteria
- enhanced regulatory and permitting provisions to accelerate project of common interest and project of mutual interest (PCI and PMI) implementation
strengthened cross-sectoral energy infrastructure planning
projects of mutual interest between EU countries and countries outside the EU
TEN-E covers which electricity forms
11 priority geographical corridors covering
electricity offshore grids hydrogen and electrolysers infrastructure development
and 3 priority thematic areas covering
smart electricity grids smart gas grids CO2 networks
Green Deal Industrial Plan
The Green Deal Industrial Plan enhances the competitiveness of Europe’s net-zero industry and is accelerating the transition to climate neutrality. It does so by creating a more supportive environment for scaling up the EU’s manufacturing capacity for the net-zero technologies and products required to meet Europe’s ambitious climate targets.
Green Deal Industrial Plan - four key pillars
Predictable and simplified regulatory environment
Faster access to funding
Enhancing skills
Open trade for resilient supply chains
Green Deal Industrial Plan - 3 Initiatives
- Net-Zero Industry Act
- Critical Raw Materials Act
- Reform of electricity market design
Net-Zero Industry Act
On 6 February 2024, the European Parliament and the Council reached a political agreement on the Net-Zero Industry Act. Once formally adopted, the Act will enter into force.
The Net-Zero Industry Act is an initiative stemming from the Green Deal Industrial Plan which aims to scale up the manufacturing of clean technologies in the EU. This means increasing the EU’s manufacturing capacity of technologies that support the clean energy transition and release extremely low, zero or negative greenhouse gas emissions when they operate.
This Act will attract investments and create better conditions and market access for clean tech in the EU.
Net-Zero Industry Act - Key technologies
- Solar photovoltaic and solar thermal
- Electrolysers and fuel cells
- Onshore wind and offshore renewables
- Sustainable biogas/biomethane
- Batteries and storage
- Carbon capture and storage
- Heat pumps and geothermal energy
- Grid technologies
European Critical Raw Materials Act
The European Critical Raw Materials Act is the basis for building up the EU’s capacities and strengthening the resilience of its critical raw material supply chains. It includes measures to:
- strengthen domestic supply chains
- reinforce international engagement to develop mutually beneficial partnerships with third countries
European Critical Raw Materials Act - Key pillars of the Act
- Setting clear priorities for action: to be reached by 2030: 10% of the EU’s annual needs for extraction; 40% for processing and 25% for recycling. No more than 65% of EU’s annual needs of each strategic raw material at any relevant stage of processing should come from a single third country.
- Building European capacities:
The EU must strengthen its raw materials value chain, from mining to refining to processing and recycling. This will require development of national exploration, more streamlined and predictable approach to permitting procedures, as well as improved access to finance. - Improving resilience:
This pillar focuses on improving the EU’s ability to withstand disruptions in the supply chain. It will do so by increasing the monitoring capacity through stress tests, ensuring coordinated efforts for the build-up of strategic stockpiles and fostering sustainable investment and trade. - Investing in research, innovation and skills: The EU will strengthen the uptake and deployment of breakthrough technologies in critical raw materials. The establishment of a large-scale skills partnership on critical raw materials and of a Raw Materials Academy will promote skills relevant to the workforce in critical raw materials supply chains.
- Promoting a more sustainable and circular critical raw materials economy:
The recycling of raw materials,
strong secondary market ,
encouraging recovery of critical raw materials from extractive waste facilities, increasing efforts to mitigate adverse impacts with respect to labour rights, human rights,
environmental protection,
Certification schemes to increase the sustainability of critical raw materials on the EU market must also be recognised.
Critical raw material dependencies
63% of the world’s cobalt, used in batteries, is extracted in the Democratic Republic of Congo
97% of EU’s magnesium supply is sourced from China
100% of the rare earths used for permanent magnets are refined in China
98% of EU’s supply of borate is provided by Türkiye
