One of the priorities of the current Commission is to build the Energy Union

One of the priorities of the current Commission is to build the Energy Union [1] and to ensure that all countries are successful in implementing fair and sustainable energy transitions. During 2018 we have achieved major milestones towards the adoption of the Clean Energy for All Europeans Package, the necessary regulatory framework to support the construction of the Energy Union. Four legislative acts entered into force: the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, the Energy Efficiency Directive, the recast Renewable Energy Directive and the first ever Governance of the Energy Union Regulation. Political agreement has also been reached on the other four proposals regarding the electricity market, risk preparedness and ACER.

This regulatory framework will consolidate the EU’s position as a frontrunner in the energy transition: it will enable the transformation of the way we produce and use energy, which is key, in order to deliver on the promise of deep decarbonisation. It will also contribute on the competitiveness of our economy, trigger new investments, growth and jobs in Europe, and improve our energy security.

The energy transition is a challenge and an opportunity for actors at all levels of governance: Member States, local and regional authorities, but also academia and the private sector will have an important role to play in modernising the economy and matching research and innovation with business needs. This was recognised by 179 regions and 20 Member States that identified energy-related priorities as part of their Smart Specialisation Strategies.

From an energy policy perspective, Smart Specialisation is at the same time an instrument to foster research and innovation but also a way to encourage the development of local/regional plans and strategies to contribute to the energy transition. It should ultimately lead to the implementation of concrete projects that should form an integral part of countries’ efforts to reach 2030 targets and secure a sustainable path towards 2050.

Establishing the Smart Specialisation Platform on Energy (S3P Energy) together with DG REGIO and the JRC, we aimed at endorsing the efforts of regions in the energy transition: we support regions in making their own plans, so that they make use of their available resources while addressing regional challenges (including socio-economic ones), integrating their technical know-how and skills. We also aimed at encouraging transregional cooperation, namely in the form of Interregional Partnerships, to support the implementation of projects beyond the borders of individual countries, based on the availability of renewable energy sources (e.g. solar, wind, biomass, geothermal). The S3P Energy provides methodological and policy analysis to support these partnerships. Activities include for example the creation of an interactive capacity map, displaying socio-economic regional framework conditions together with industrial and public capabilities and potentials to engage in a certain energy technology: this aimed at facilitating matchmaking and establishing cooperation between regions with different levels of experience. Other activities included the development of a work methodology, the identification of possible joint projects, the creation of links between the regional managing authorities and main stakeholders with the relevant Commission DGs.

It is now the time to step up the efforts also in the context of the S3P Energy on the level of project implementation, to support participating regions to make the necessary investments that will bring new energy technologies from the R&D stage to the market. Regions considered to have specific challenges, such as coal regions in transition and islands, will have the opportunity to be engaged in this process. Boosting investor confidence will help attract new capital: this could be done for example by anchoring regional smart specialisation strategies to the National Energy and Climate Plans that Member States have to finalise by the end of 2019.

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/energy-union-and-climate_en