EUU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 709: Notat om underskrivelse af politisk erklæring vedrørende samarbejde mellem Nordsø-landene om udbygning af vedvarende energi og el-net

Europaudvalget 2015-16
EUU Alm.del Bilag 709
Offentligt

Political Declaration on energy cooperation

between the North Seas Countries

[The Ministers of …,]

Considering;



The historic outcome reached in Paris in December 2015 where the world adopted the first-

ever global and legally-binding climate agreement with the aim of holding global warming well

below 2°C and of pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C;

The objective set by the EU Energy Union strategy of February 2015 to provide consumers

with sustainable, secure and affordable energy, and the importance it attaches to enhanced

regional cooperation;

The indispensable role of offshore renewables in further building and diversifying the

sustainable energy portfolio, and achieving our individual and common European renewable

energy targets, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% in 2050

compared with 1990;

The conclusions of the Council of the EU of 26 November 2015, recognising that regional

cooperation has proved to be a key instrument for progressing towards

inter alia

the

completion of a well-functioning internal energy market, for trans-European infrastructure

development, for the cost-efficient achievement of energy and climate policy objectives

inter

alia

by increasing interconnection capacity, and for increasing security of supply;

The Memorandum of Understanding of 3 December 2010 on the North Seas Countries’

Offshore Grid Initiative, with the objectives of contributing to the move to a sustainable low-

carbon economy, maximising the potential of the renewable energy resources of the North

Seas, identifying and tackling barriers to offshore grid development, and facilitating the

strategic, coordinated and cost-effective development of offshore and onshore grids;



Taking into account;



The need to reduce costs in the offshore wind sector, notably through exploiting the potential

that regional cooperation offers in this respect, in particular with a view to reducing

transaction costs and exploiting benefits of scale;

The required investments in the offshore wind sector, and the need to mobilise funds and

further improve the investment climate;

The need for stable and transparent framework conditions for project developers and their

supply chains, including having a steady pipeline of offshore wind projects to avoid periods of

industry idling;

The need to cost-effectively integrate offshore wind energy into the existing and future energy

system and consider measures to this effect, including strengthening the onshore electricity

grid;

The important long term potential benefits of further interconnection and market integration

offered by the development of the North Seas as a single energy resource for all countries in

the region;

The potential of the offshore wind sector to provide the necessary sustainable growth and jobs

and to solidify European leadership in the sector and the supply chain;

The requirements stemming from EU and national legislation and applying to offshore

development;

The need to mitigate pressures on the environment as a result of the further deployment of

offshore renewable energy;



EUU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 709: Notat om underskrivelse af politisk erklæring vedrørende samarbejde mellem Nordsø-landene om udbygning af vedvarende energi og el-net

Welcoming and building on;



The important work which has been undertaken in the context of several existing regional

initiatives to facilitate the further deployment of offshore wind capacity, in particular;



By the North Seas Countries’ Offshore Grid Initiative (NSCOGI), in particular by

developing concepts for the perspective of a possible offshore electricity grid in the

greater North Sea area thereby providing the basis for the next steps towards a new

and broadened approach to North Seas offshore cooperation;



By the Intergovernmental Offshore Wind Forum (IGF), in particular the mutual

exchange of know-how and ideas on the regulation and ecological effects of offshore

wind;



The joint European TSOs’ grid planning in ENTSO-E, publishing biennial Ten Year

Network Development Plans and Regional Plans;

The 2016 Manifesto

Northern Seas as the Power House of North-Western Europe

of 20

Members of the European Parliament from countries neighbouring the North Seas, which calls

for increased regional cooperation;



Recognising;



The need to renew energy cooperation in the North Seas based on lessons learned from

previous work and to move to a more pragmatic, step-by-step, bottom-up approach, with

strong political commitment at national level;

The significant added value that the European Commission has to offer to North Seas

cooperation as a strong ‘driver in substance’, being an important source of knowledge,

analysis and capacity, thereby stimulating the cooperation process;

The need for a concrete and realistic work programme for cooperation on a voluntary basis,

that builds on shared political will at regional and/or sub-regional level, that is flexible and

whose progress should be evaluated periodically to facilitate cost-effective and efficient

cooperation;

The importance of developing concepts for joint offshore wind investment (pilot) projects at

regional and/or sub-regional level, aiming at win-win situations for all participating countries

e.g. by making use of benefits of scale, as key drivers for further concrete cooperation;

The importance of maintaining an open dialogue with all stakeholders including system

operators, regulatory authorities, business, civil society, institutional investors, governments

and politicians, when drawing up and implementing a work programme and further shaping

North Seas regional cooperation;

The need to ensure an efficient governance and support structure, which combines the work

and structures already available into a lean overall process, avoiding duplication of work;



Set as an objective:



To facilitate the further cost-effective deployment of offshore renewable energy, in particular

wind, through voluntary cooperation, with the aim of ensuring a sustainable, secure and

affordable energy supply in the North Seas countries, thereby also facilitating further

interconnection between North Seas countries and – whilst focusing on a step-by-step

approach – with the perspective of further integration and increased efficiency of wholesale

electricity markets in the longer term, contributing to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

and in average wholesale price spreads and to enhanced security of supply in the region;

EUU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 709: Notat om underskrivelse af politisk erklæring vedrørende samarbejde mellem Nordsø-landene om udbygning af vedvarende energi og el-net

And express their commitment to:



Support the further development and implementation of the work programme set out in Annex

I and to pursue voluntary cooperation in line with the governance and support structure set

out in Annex II, with the aim of developing concrete cooperation at regional and/or sub-

regional level, aiming at a win-win situation for cooperating North Seas countries;

Communicate interim results regularly and thereby provide a basis for an open and

transparent regional dialogue, including with stakeholders;

Take stock of the progress made towards the implementation of the work programme and

evaluate the functioning of the governance and support structure no later than three years

after the signing of this declaration.



Nature of the Political Declaration

This document records a political intent alone. It is not intended to establish any new legal

commitments or to replace or modify any existing legal obligations, nor is it meant to prejudge in any

way an outcome of discussions on the governance system for the Energy Union.

Signed in Luxembourg on the sixth day of June in the year two thousand and sixteen

[…]

EUU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 709: Notat om underskrivelse af politisk erklæring vedrørende samarbejde mellem Nordsø-landene om udbygning af vedvarende energi og el-net

Annex I: Work programme 2016 – 2019 (summer)

All work under this work programme will be undertaken in line with existing obligations under

international law as well as relevant EU legislation and subject to available resources. Where relevant,

the agreed measures to implement such legislation will be notified to the relevant authorities.

Countries are free to focus on the work areas of their interest.

Work area: Maritime spatial planning

Participating countries will work on:



Coordinating the planning and development of offshore wind and grid projects beyond national

borders including area mapping;



Developing a common environmental assessment framework;



Increasing the availability and interoperability of marine data for planning, impact assessment,

licensing and operations;



Exchanging best practices on site preparation and the handling of unexploded ordnance;



Exchanging best practices on permitting procedures and work on the modalities of a

coordinated permitting process for concrete regional or sub-regional joint offshore projects.

Work area: Development and regulation of offshore grids and other offshore infrastructure

Participating countries will work on:



Improving the coordination of regional and point-to-point grid planning and development,

promoting projects with regional benefits and exploring models of cost allocation (i.e.

compensation), to help generate win-win options for concrete (sub)regional cooperation;



Exploring options for developing hybrid projects linking offshore windfarms with

interconnectors;



Exploring potential synergies with the conventional offshore sector, including operational

cooperation and the electrification of platforms.

Work area: Support framework and finance for offshore wind projects

Participating countries will work on:



Sharing information on the likely offshore energy infrastructure needs of each country and the

phasing of development, thereby providing predictability to the private sector as regards

future aggregate demand for offshore energy infrastructure in the region;



Increasing the coordination and alignment of national support schemes relating to offshore

wind,

inter alia

auction design and planning, and possibly cooperation on the timing of

tendering;



Concepts for concrete joint (pilot) projects, and exploring opportunities for the opening of

support schemes and joint tenders, ensuring win-win situations for all participating countries;



The further mobilisation of investment capital for joint (pilot) projects, for instance through EU

funds such as EFSI and CEF, and institutional investors.

Work area: Standards, technical rules and regulations in the offshore wind sector

Participating countries will work towards:



The harmonisation of rules concerning aviation markings and lights;



The harmonisation of health and safety requirements;



The alignment of crew and vessel requirements;



The mutual recognition and harmonisation of certification standards for components in

offshore wind projects;



Exchanging best practices on park layout constraints including line of sight requirements;

EUU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 709: Notat om underskrivelse af politisk erklæring vedrørende samarbejde mellem Nordsø-landene om udbygning af vedvarende energi og el-net



The establishment of a common approach, for example by establishing facilities for innovation,

testing and demonstration of new technology;

Investigating a common approach to rules applicable to offshore turbines in territorial waters

and exclusive zones.

EUU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 709: Notat om underskrivelse af politisk erklæring vedrørende samarbejde mellem Nordsø-landene om udbygning af vedvarende energi og el-net

Annex II: Governance and support structure

Integration of existing cooperation



On the basis of the work programme set out in Annex I, work under the auspices of the

Intergovernmental Offshore Wind Forum (IGF) and North Seas Countries’ Offshore Grid

Initiative (NSCOGI) will be brought under the umbrella of this North Seas cooperation

initiative.

A strengthened structure



NSCOGI serves as the basis for a renewed and strengthened governance and support

structure for North Seas cooperation, thereby ensuring the effective and efficient

implementation of the work programme.

In accordance with the purpose and content of this declaration, aimed at further improving

North Seas cooperation, a number of measures will be taken to strengthen the NSCOGI

structure:



Support Groups



The work programme will be further developed and implemented by four Support Groups

mirroring the work streams in Annex I, consisting of experts from national administrations, the

Commission and relevant stakeholders including, where appropriate, system operators,

regulatory authorities, business, institutional investors and civil society. The Support Groups

will meet on a needs basis but no less than twice per year.

The Support Groups will be co-chaired by the European Commission and, on a three-year

rotating basis, by one of the participating North Seas countries.



High Level Group



A High Level Group, consisting of high level representatives of the participating North Seas

countries and the European Commission, will be established in order to provide political

guidance and support. High level representatives will be DGs or ministers as appropriate. The

High Level Group will meet at least once a year.

The High Level Group will be co-chaired by the Commission and, on an annually rotating basis,

by one of participating North Seas countries.



Coordinators Committee



The work carried out at technical level by the Support Groups will be guided and interlinked

through a Coordinators Committee, consisting of representatives of all participating countries

and the Commission. The Coordinators Committee is to be considered to represent the High

Level Group at working level. The Coordinators Committee will meet at least as frequently as

the High Level Group, and more often as appropriate.

The Coordinators Committee will be co-chaired by the Commission and, on an annually

rotating basis, by one of the participating North Seas countries. The rotating co-chair of the

Coordinators Committee will represent the same North Seas country as the co-chair of the

High Level Group.



EUU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 709: Notat om underskrivelse af politisk erklæring vedrørende samarbejde mellem Nordsø-landene om udbygning af vedvarende energi og el-net

The North Seas countries and the Commission as co-chairs



In its capacity as co-chair, the Commission is ‘driver in substance’, guiding and supporting

further analysis of concrete concepts for cooperation, thereby facilitating a pragmatic step-by-

step approach towards cost-effective (sub)regional North Seas cooperation;

Co-chairs have no decision-making powers as regards concrete cooperation between North

Seas Countries and the Commission at (sub)regional level. This remains the competence of

each of the participating countries and the Commission, on the basis of political will;

The foregoing applies to all levels of coordination: Support Groups as well as the High Level

Group and the Coordinators Committee.



The Secretariat



When it comes to matters of substance, the secretariat function (i.e. the preparation of the

meetings) is included in the role of the co-chairs;

The Secretariat General of the Benelux in Brussels continues to serve as the basic platform for

support to the North Seas cooperation, i.e. all co-chairs, by making its premises available for

meetings of all groups at all levels;

As Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, other countries and the Commission may also

wish to consider using the Secretariat General for more substantive tasks. This, however,

would require additional resources from these other countries.

