„The list of Projects of Common Interest has not had a precedent yet. Therefore we all have to give our efforts for this list to become a part of the history of the successful implementation of the energy infrastructure projects. I would like to stress that the implementation of these projects depends on the common desire of all the stakeholders to have a competitive common energy market and more stable European economy," – said minister of Energy Jaroslav Neverovič during the conference in Vilnius.
During the conference Commissioner Gunther Oettinger pointed out that until now, the European energy market is lagging behind other sectors. Energy market needs to catch up with other sectors, such as industry, telecommunications and transport. Projects of energy infrastructure are cross-border therefore European communities must have a clear vision of long term benefits of their implementation and to see the projects through the lens of common European and not individual interest.
According to the conference participants, the legal base of EU energy sector was greatly improved during the last years, but in order to make the common rules effective, physical infrastructure is vital. Projects of Common Interest, if implemented, will significantly contribute to removing barriers to the EU internal market and will start a new stage of the EU-wide energy policy.
A list of Projects of Common Interest includes energy infrastructure projects of regional importance. The proposed list includes six energy infrastructure projects of the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan (BEMIP) that are implemented with the involvement of Lithuania.
EU PCI will be ensured by accelerated planning and permit granting procedures, as a binding three-and-a-half-year term for the permit granting is provided. These projects can also be submitted for funding under an EU support, namely the Connecting Europe Facility, which budget for 2014–2020 may reach 5.85 billion euros.
The list of PCI proposed by the European Commission will be approved by the European Parliament and the EU Council that is currently chaired by Lithuania. During the conference the representatives of European institutions have stated their firm support for the implementation of PCI as soon as possible.
