/17^th April 2019, Brussels, EU Commission/ The European Commission (EC) is releasing €750 million of funding for key European energy infrastructure projects with major cross-border benefits. The EU funding comes from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the European support programme for trans-European infrastructure. This represents a crucial element of the Energy Union, one of the political priorities of the Juncker Commission. The 2019 CEF Energy call for proposals will be open until 13 June 2019. To apply for CEF Energy funding, projects must first be designated Projects of Common Interest (PCIs). PCIs need to have a significant impact on at least two EU countries and must increase competitiveness, enhance the EU’s energy security and contribute to sustainable development and environmental protection. The received proposals for financing, which can be for studies or construction works, will then be evaluated against several additional criteria.

/7^th February 2020, Sean Fleming, World Economic Forum/ By 2050, Europe wants to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent – that’s the key message in a series of goals and initiatives announced by the European Commission known as the European Green Deal. It aims to “transform the European Union into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy,” the Commission says. Among its timeline of objectives, the Commission has called for a 50% increase to the EU 2030 climate target, which currently calls for a 40% cut in greenhouse gas emissions and an increase in the use of renewable energy. In 2019 Europe saw a fall of almost one-fifth in the generation of coal-fired electricity – described by the climate change think tank Sandbag as the Great Coal Collapse of 2019. Addressing climate change is not just an environmental priority. As outlined in the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report, economic and social stability are at significant risk of disruption from climate-related problems.

/11^th June 2018, EU Commission, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/. Following the 2018 CEF Energy Work Programme's adoption in March 2018, the second call for energy proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for 2018 has opened today. The European Commission will release €500 million of funding for energy infrastructure projects that plan to strengthen the EU's internal energy market, enhance energy supply security, and help provide clean, sustainable energy for Europe.