20.12.2013   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 348/129

(1)

In order to achieve smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to stimulate job creation in line with the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy, the Union needs an up-to-date, high-performance infrastructure to help connect and integrate the Union and all its regions, in the transport, telecommunications and energy sectors. Those connections should help improve the free movement of persons, goods, capital and services. The trans-European networks should facilitate cross-border connections, foster greater economic, social and territorial cohesion, and contribute to a more competitive social market economy and to combating climate change.

(2)

The aim of the creation of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) established by this Regulation is to accelerate investment in the field of trans-European networks and to leverage funding from both the public and the private sectors, while increasing legal certainty and respecting the principle of technological neutrality. The CEF should enable synergies between the transport, telecommunications and energy sectors to be harnessed to the full, thus enhancing the effectiveness of Union action and enabling implementing costs to be optimised.

(3)

According to the Commission, the estimated investment requirement for trans-European networks in the transport, telecommunications and energy sectors for the period up to 2020 is EUR 970 000 million.

(4)

This Regulation lays down, for the implementation of the CEF for the period 2014 to 2020, a financial envelope of EUR 33 242 259 000 in current prices which is to constitute the prime reference amount, within the meaning of point 17 of the Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 2 December 2013 on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management (4) for the European Parliament and the Council during the annual budgetary procedure.

(5)

In order to optimise the use of budgetary funds allocated to the CEF, the Commission should, following the mid-term evaluation of the CEF, be able to propose the transfer of appropriations between the transport, telecommunications and energy sectors. Such proposal should be subject to the annual budgetary procedure.

(6)

The amount of EUR 11 305 500 000 in current prices transferred from the Cohesion Fund established by Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) should be used to commit budgetary resources to financial instruments under this Regulation only from 1 January 2017.

(7)

The creation of efficient transport and energy infrastructure networks is one of the 12 key actions identified by the Commission in its Communication of 13 April 2011 entitled: "Single Market Act – Twelve levers to boost growth and strengthen confidence: 'Working together to create new growth'.

(8)

The Commission has committed itself to mainstreaming climate change into Union spending programmes and to directing at least 20 % of the Union budget to climate-related objectives. It is important to ensure that climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as risk prevention and management, are promoted in the preparation, design and implementation of projects of common interest. Infrastructure investments covered by this Regulation should help to promote the transition to a low-carbon and climate- and disaster-resilient economy and society, taking into account the specificities of regions with natural and demographic disadvantages, in particular the outermost and island regions. In the transport and energy sectors in particular, the CEF should contribute to the Union's mid-term and long-term objectives in terms of decarbonisation.

(9)

In its resolution of 8 June 2011 on Investing in the future: a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for a competitive, sustainable and inclusive Europe (6), the European Parliament stressed the importance of ensuring the rapid execution of the Union's Digital Agenda and of continuing efforts towards reaching by 2020 the targets of making access to high-speed internet available to all Union citizens, also in less developed regions. The European Parliament underlined that investing in an effective transport infrastructure had a key role to play in enabling Europe to defend its competitiveness and pave the way for post-crisis, long-term economic growth, and that the trans-European transport network ("TEN-T") was vital in order to guarantee the proper functioning of the internal market and provide important European added value. The European Parliament also stated that it was of the opinion that TEN-T should, accordingly, be a key priority in the MFF and that an increase in TEN-T funds was necessary in the MFF. In addition, the European Parliament emphasised the need to maximise the impact of Union funding and the opportunity offered by the Cohesion and by the European Structural and Investment Funds and financial instruments to fund key national and cross-border European priority energy infrastructure projects, and stressed the need for a substantial allocation from the Union budget for financial instruments in this field.

(10)

With a view to financing infrastructure in cross-border regions as part of the development of the networks as a whole, synergies should be encouraged between the financial instruments of the CEF and other Union funds.

(11)

On 28 March 2011, the Commission adopted the White Paper entitled "Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area — Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system" (the "White Paper"). The White Paper aims at reducing the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of the transport sector by at least 60 % by 2050 compared to 1990. As far as infrastructure is concerned, the White Paper aims at establishing a fully functional and Union-wide multimodal TEN-T core network by 2030. Interoperability could be enhanced by innovative solutions that improve compatibility between the systems involved. The White Paper also aims at optimising the performance of multimodal logistic chains, including by making greater use of more energy-efficient modes. Therefore, it sets the following relevant targets for TEN-T policy: 30 % of road freight carried over distances of more than 300 km should shift to other modes by 2030, and more than 50 % by 2050; the length of the existing high-speed rail network should triple by 2030 and by 2050 the majority of medium-distance passenger journeys should be undertaken by rail; by 2050, all core network airports should be connected to the rail network and all seaports to the rail freight and, where possible, to the inland waterway system.

(12)

In its resolution of 6 July 2010 on a sustainable future for transport (7), the European Parliament emphasised that an efficient transport policy required a financial framework that was appropriate to the challenges arising and that, to that end, the current resources for transport and mobility should be increased; it further considered that there was a need to create a facility to coordinate and optimise the use of different sources of transport funding and of all the financial means and mechanisms available at Union level.

(13)

In its conclusions of 11 June 2009 on the TEN-T policy review, the Council reaffirmed the need to continue investing in transport infrastructure in order to ensure proper development of the TEN-T in all transport modes, as a basis for the internal market and competitiveness, economic, social and territorial cohesion of the Union and its connection to neighbouring countries, focusing on the European added value that this would bring. The Council also underlined the need for the Union to make available the financial resources necessary to stimulate investment in TEN-T projects and, in particular, the need to reconcile appropriate financing support from the TEN-T budget to the priority projects which involve relevant cross-border sections and the implementation of which would extend beyond 2013 within the institutional constraints of the MFF programming. In the view of the Council, public-private partnership approaches should be further developed and supported in this context where appropriate.

(14)

On the basis of the objectives set by the White Paper, the TEN-T guidelines as laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8) identify the infrastructure of the TEN-T, specify the requirements to be fulfilled by it and provide for measures for their implementation. Those guidelines envisage, in particular, the completion of the core network by 2030 through the creation of new infrastructure as well as the substantial upgrading and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure.

(15)

Based on an analysis of the transport infrastructure plans of Member States, the Commission estimates that investment needs in transport amount to EUR 500 000 million over the entirety of the TEN-T network for the period 2014-2020, of which an estimated EUR 250 000 million will need to be invested in the core network of the TEN-T.

(16)

The geographical alignment of rail freight corridors as provided for by Regulation (EU) No 913/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council (9) and of core network corridors under Part I of Annex I to this Regulation should, where appropriate, be ensured, taking into consideration the objectives of the respective instruments, in order to reduce the administrative burden and streamline the development and use of the railway infrastructure. The rail freight corridors should be subject solely to the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 913/2010, including as regards changes to their alignment.

(17)

Within the framework of the TEN-T policy review launched in February 2009, a dedicated expert group was created to support the Commission and look into the issue of the funding strategy and financing perspectives for the TEN-T. Expert Group No 5 drew from the experience of external experts from various fields: infrastructure managers, infrastructure planners, national, regional and local representatives, environmental experts, academia, and representatives of the private sector. The final report of Expert Group No 5 (10) adopted in July 2010 contains 40 recommendations, some of which have been taken into account in this Regulation. That report recommends inter alia that the Commission should provide a standard framework for the blending of Union grants and TEN-T public-private partnerships ("PPPs"), covering both the funds under the cohesion policy and the TEN-T budget.

(18)

Experience with the MFF (2007-2013) shows that some Member States which are eligible for financing from the Cohesion Fund are facing significant obstacles in delivering on time complex cross-border transport infrastructure projects with a high European added value, as well as allowing efficient use of Union funds. Therefore, in order to improve the completion of transport projects – in particular cross-border ones – with a high European added value, part of the Cohesion Fund allocation (EUR 11 305 500 000) should be transferred to finance transport projects on the transport core network or transport projects relating to horizontal priorities in the Member States eligible for financing from the Cohesion Fund under the CEF. In an initial phase, the selection of projects eligible for financing should respect the national allocations under the Cohesion Fund. The Commission should support Member States eligible for financing from the Cohesion Fund in their efforts to develop an appropriate pipeline of projects, in particular by strengthening the institutional capacity of the public administrations concerned and by organising additional calls for proposals, while ensuring a transparent process for the selection of projects.

(19)

The amount of EUR 11 305 500 000 transferred from the Cohesion Fund, to be spent exclusively in Member States eligible for funding from the Cohesion Fund, should not be used to finance actions with synergies between transport, telecommunications and energy sectors contributing to projects of common interest resulting from a multi-sectoral call for proposals.

(20)

Institutional and administrative capacity are essential prerequisites for effective delivery of the objectives of the CEF. The Commission should, as far as possible, offer appropriate means of support to permit the design and implementation of projects in the Member States concerned.

(21)

In its Communication of 17 November 2010 entitled: "Energy infrastructure priorities for 2020 and beyond – a Blueprint for an integrated energy network", the Commission identified the priority corridors which are necessary to allow the Union to meet its ambitious energy and climate targets by 2020 for the purposes of completing the internal energy market, ensuring security of supply, enabling the integration of renewable sources of energy and preparing the networks for further decarbonisation of the energy system beyond 2020.

(22)

Major investment is needed to modernise and expand Europe's energy infrastructure and to interconnect networks across borders and end the energy isolation of Member States, in order to meet the Union's energy and climate policy objectives of competitiveness, sustainability and security of supply in a cost-effective way. According to the Commission, the estimated investment needs in energy infrastructure up to 2020 amount to EUR 1 000 000 million, including investment of approximately EUR 200 000 million in electricity and gas transmission and storage infrastructures considered to be of European relevance. According to the Commission Staff Working Paper entitled "Energy infrastructure investment needs and financing requirements" submitted to the Council, among projects of European relevance, approximately EUR 100 000 million worth of investment is at risk of not being delivered due to obstacles relating to the granting of permits, regulation and financing.

(23)

The urgent need to build the energy infrastructure of the future and the significant increase in investment volumes compared to past trends require a step change in the way energy infrastructure is supported at Union level. In its conclusions of 28 February 2011, the Council endorsed the energy corridors as priorities for Europe.

(24)

As regards the energy sector, the European Council of 4 February 2011 called upon the Commission to streamline and improve authorisation procedures and to promote a regulatory framework attractive to investment. It underlined that the bulk of the investment would have to be delivered by the market with costs recovered through tariffs. The European Council recognised that public finance is needed for projects required from a security of supply or solidarity perspective which are unable to attract market-based financing. It furthermore underlined the need to modernise and expand Europe's energy infrastructure and to interconnect networks across borders, in order to make solidarity between Member States operational, to provide for alternative supply or transit routes and sources of energy and to develop renewable energy sources in competition with traditional sources. It insisted that the internal energy market should be completed by 2014 so as to allow gas and electricity to flow freely and that no Member State should remain isolated from the European gas and electricity networks after 2015 or see its energy security jeopardised by a lack of the appropriate connections. The first two annual work programmes adopted under this Regulation should give priority consideration to projects of common interest and related actions aimed at ending energy isolation and eliminating energy bottlenecks, so as to move towards completion of the internal energy market.

(25)

Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (11) identifies the trans-European energy infrastructure priorities which need to be implemented by 2020 in order to meet the Union's energy and climate policy objectives, sets rules to identify projects of common interest necessary to implement those priorities, and lays down measures in the field of the granting of permits, public involvement and regulation to speed up and/or facilitate the implementation of those projects, including criteria for the eligibility of such projects for Union financial assistance.

(26)

Telecommunications are increasingly becoming internet-based infrastructures, with broadband networks infrastructure catalysing the use of digital services across a whole range of activities in society. The internet is becoming the dominant platform for communication, for doing business, for providing public and private services and for social and cultural cohesion. Furthermore, cloud computing and software-as-a-service are emerging as the new paradigms of computing. Therefore, the trans-European availability of ubiquitous, fast internet access and innovative digital services is essential for economic growth and the single market.

(27)

Modern fast internet networks are a crucial infrastructure for the future in terms of connectivity for European companies, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises ("SMEs") that want to use cloud computing in order to improve cost-efficiency. In order to avoid duplication of infrastructure, prevent the displacement of private investment and enhance capacity-building with a view to creating new investment opportunities and promoting the implementation of cost-reduction measures, actions should be taken to improve coordination of Union support to broadband from the CEF and broadband support from all other available sources, including through national broadband plans.

(28)

The Europe 2020 Strategy calls for the implementation of the Digital Agenda for Europe, which establishes a stable legal framework to stimulate investment in an open and competitive high-speed internet infrastructure and in related services. The aim should be for Europe to have the fastest broadband in the world by 2020 based on state-of-the-art technologies.

(29)

On 31 May 2010, the Council concluded that the Union should put the necessary resources into the development of a digital single market based on fast and ultra-fast internet and interoperable applications, and acknowledged that efficient and competitive investment in next-generation broadband networks would be necessary for innovation, consumer choice and the competitiveness of the Union, and could provide a better quality of life through improved health care, safer transport, new media opportunities and easier access to goods, services and knowledge, in particular across borders.

(30)

The private sector should play a leading role in rolling out and modernising broadband networks, supported by a competitive and investment-friendly regulatory framework. Where private investment falls short, Member States should undertake the necessary efforts to achieve the targets of the Digital Agenda. Public financial assistance to broadband should be limited to financial instruments for programmes or initiatives targeting projects which cannot be financed solely by the private sector, confirmed by an ex-ante assessment identifying market imperfections or sub-optimal investment situations.

(31)

Consequently, it is essential to stimulate, in accordance with the principle of technological neutrality, Union-wide deployment of fast and ultra-fast broadband networks and to facilitate the development and deployment of trans-European digital services. Public investment through financial instruments in fast and ultra-fast broadband networks must not lead to market distortions or create disincentives to invest. It should be used to attract private investment, and should be resorted to only in cases where there is a lack of commercial interest to invest.

(32)

Several methods of implementation are necessary and require different funding rates and financial instruments to increase the efficiency and impact of the Union financial assistance, to encourage private investment and to respond to the specific requirements of individual projects.

(33)

A Regulation on guidelines for trans-European networks in the area of telecommunications infrastructure will identify the criteria according to which projects of common interest may be financially supported under this Regulation.

(34)

Horizon 2020 – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (12) – will focus inter alia on tackling societal challenges (e.g. through smart, green, accessible and integrated transport, secure, clean and efficient energy, and information- and communication technology-enabled health, government and sustainable development) in order to respond directly to the challenges identified in the Europe 2020 Strategy, by supporting activities covering the entire spectrum from research to market. Horizon 2020 will support all stages in the innovation chain, especially activities closer to the market, including innovative financial instruments. With the aim of ensuring that the Union funding has a greater impact, and in order to ensure coherence, the CEF will develop close synergies with Horizon 2020.

(35)

In its Communication of 20 July 2010 entitled "Towards a European road safety area: policy orientations on road safety 2011-2020", the Commission set a framework for policy actions in favour of safe infrastructure as a key element to reduce road casualties by 50 % by 2020. The CEF should therefore ensure that requests for Union funding comply with the safety requirements, recommendations and targets established in all relevant Union road safety law. The evaluation of the performance of the CEF should take into account the reduction of casualties on the road network of the Union.

(36)

The Union and most Member States are party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, while the remaining Member States are in the process of ratifying it. It is important in the implementation of the relevant projects that accessibility for persons with disabilities, as mentioned in that Convention, be considered in the specification of the projects.

(37)

Even though a large proportion of the investment under the Europe 2020 Strategy can be delivered by the market and regulatory measures, the financing challenges may require public actions and Union support in the form of grants and innovative financial instruments.

(38)

In order to optimise the use of the Union budget, grants should be targeted at those projects which receive insufficient financing from the private sector.

(39)

Railway projects should not be excluded from receiving grants under this Regulation because they generate revenue from mandatory charges under Directive 2012/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (13).

(40)

Fiscal measures in many Member States will drive, or have already driven, public authorities to reassess their infrastructure investment programmes. In this context, PPPs have been viewed as an effective means of delivering infrastructure projects which ensure the achievement of policy objectives such as combating climate change, promoting alternative energy sources and energy and resource efficiency, and supporting sustainable transport and the deployment of broadband networks. In its Communication of 19 November 2009 entitled: "Mobilising private and public investment for recovery and long term structural change: developing Public Private Partnerships", the Commission committed itself to improving access to finance for PPPs by broadening the scope of existing financial instruments.

(41)

In its Communication of 19 October 2010 entitled "EU Budget Review", the Commission emphasised that the norm for projects with long-term commercial potential should be the use of Union funds in partnership with the financial and banking sectors, particularly the European Investment Bank and Member States' public financial institutions, but also with other international financial institutions and the private financial sector, including at national and regional level.

(42)

Financial instruments should be used to address specific market needs, for actions which have a clear European added value and which are in line with the objectives of the CEF, and should not crowd out private financing. They should improve the leverage effect of the Union budget spending and achieve a higher multiplier effect in terms of attracting private-sector financing. This is particularly relevant in the context of difficulties in accessing credit and constraints on public finances, and in view of the need to underpin Europe's economic recovery. Before deciding to use financial instruments, the Commission should carry out an ex-ante assessment of the instrument concerned, as required by Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (14).

(43)

In the Europe 2020 Strategy, the Commission pledged to mobilise Union financial instruments as part of a consistent funding strategy that pulls together Union and national public and private funding for infrastructures. This is based on the rationale that in many cases sub-optimal investment situations and market imperfections may be more efficiently tackled by financial instruments than by grants.

(44)

The CEF should provide for financial instruments to promote substantial participation in infrastructure investment by private-sector investors and financial institutions. To be sufficiently attractive to the private sector, financial instruments should be designed and implemented with due regard to simplification and reduction of the administrative burden but should also be able to respond to identified financing needs in a flexible manner. The design of those instruments should draw upon the experience gained in the implementation of financial instruments in the MFF (2007-2013), such as the Loan Guarantee instrument for TEN-T projects (LGTT), the Risk-Sharing Finance Facility (RSFF), the 2020 European Fund for Energy, Climate Change and Infrastructure (the 'Marguerite Fund') and the Europe 2020 Project Bond Initiative.

(45)

The potential for innovative financial instruments, such as project bonds, to support the financing of transport infrastructure with European added value should be explored, in line with the results of ex-ante assessments and other related evaluations, in particular the independent evaluation of the Europe 2020 Project Bond Initiative in 2015.

(46)

In order to optimise the use of budgetary funds allocated to the CEF, the Commission should ensure continuity of all financial instruments established under Regulation (EC) No 680/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council (15) and the risk-sharing instrument for project bonds established under Decision No 1639/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (16) within their succeeding debt and equity financial instruments under this Regulation, on the basis of an ex-ante assessment, as provided for by Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012.

(47)

In the selection of the most effective form of financial assistance, due consideration should be given to the sector- and project-specific characteristics of eligible projects. To allow for the most efficient use of the Union budget and to enhance the multiplier effect of Union financial assistance, as regards the energy sector, the Commission should, to the extent possible and subject to market take-up, endeavour to give priority to the use of financial instruments whenever appropriate, whilst respecting the ceiling for the use of financial instruments in accordance with this Regulation. Energy project promoters should be encouraged to explore the possibility of using financial instruments before applying for grants for works. In this respect, the Commission should give appropriate support to maximising the uptake of financial instruments.

(48)

Projects of common interest in the fields of electricity, gas and carbon dioxide should be eligible to receive Union financial assistance for studies and, under certain conditions, for works in the form of grants or in the form of innovative financial instruments. This will ensure that tailor-made support can be provided to those projects of common interest which are not viable under the existing regulatory framework and market conditions. In the field of energy, it is important to avoid any distortion of competition, in particular between projects contributing to the achievement of the same Union priority corridor. Such financial assistance should ensure the necessary synergies with the European Structural and Investment Funds, which will finance smart energy distribution networks of local or regional importance. A three-step logic applies to investments in projects of common interest. First, the market should have the priority to invest. Second, if investments are not made by the market, regulatory solutions should be explored, if necessary the relevant regulatory framework should be adjusted, and the correct application of the relevant regulatory framework should be ensured. Third, where the first two steps are not sufficient to deliver the necessary investment in projects of common interest, Union financial assistance could be granted if the project of common interest fulfils the applicable eligibility criteria.

(49)

Pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EU) No 347/2013, all projects of common interest falling under the categories set out in Annex II.1, 2 and 4 to that Regulation are eligible for Union financial assistance in the form of grants for studies and financial instruments. Grants for works may be used for actions contributing to those projects of common interest that, in accordance with Article 14 of Regulation (EU) No 347/2013, demonstrate, in particular, significant positive externalities and are not commercially viable, according to the project's business plan and other assessments carried out by, in particular, potential investors, creditors or national regulatory authorities.

(50)

In order to ensure sectoral diversification of beneficiaries of financial instruments as well as to encourage gradual geographical diversification across the Member States, and with particular regard to those Member States which are eligible for support from the Cohesion Fund, the Commission in partnership with the European Investment Bank, through joint initiatives such as the European PPP Expertise Centre (EPEC) and the Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions (Jaspers), should provide support to the Member States in developing an appropriate pipeline of projects that could be considered for project financing.

(51)

The financial instruments under this Regulation should reflect the rules laid down in Title VIII of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012and in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/2012 (17), and should be in line with best practice rules applicable to financial instruments.

(52)

With respect to the conditions for the financial instruments, it might be necessary to add additional requirements in the work programmes, for example in order to ensure competitive markets with a view to the development of the Union's policies, technological developments and other factors that may become relevant.

(53)

Multi-annual programming for support from the CEF should be directed towards supporting the Union's priorities by ensuring the availability of the necessary financial resources and the consistency, transparency and continuity of joint action by the Union and the Member States. For proposals submitted following the implementation of the first multiannual work programme in the sector of transport, eligibility of cost should start on 1 January 2014, so as to ensure the continuity of projects already covered by Regulation (EC) No 680/2007.

(54)

Due to the substantial budget needed for the implementation of some infrastructure projects, provision should be made for the possibility of dividing budgetary commitments relating to the financial assistance for some actions into annual instalments.

(55)

Given the resources available at Union level, concentration on projects with the highest European added value is necessary in order to achieve the desired impact. Support should therefore be focused on the core network and on projects of common interest in the field of traffic management systems, in particular the air traffic management systems resulting from the new-generation European air traffic management system (the SESAR system), which require Union budgetary resources of about EUR 3 000 million, as well as the Intelligent Transport System (ITS), Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information Systems (VTMIS), River Information Services (RIS) and the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). In the energy sector, financial assistance should focus on completing the internal energy market, ensuring security of supply, promoting sustainability, inter alia by ensuring the transmission of renewable electricity from generation to centres of demand and storage, and attracting public and private investment. In the telecommunications sector, financial assistance should be targeted primarily at projects that will generate demand for broadband, including the building of a European digital service infrastructure, which should in turn stimulate investment in broadband network deployment.

(56)

In the energy sector, the budget envisaged should, as a priority, be allocated in the form of financial instruments, subject to market uptake. Projects of common interest in the telecommunications sector should be eligible for Union financial support in the form of grants and procurement for core service platforms, generic services and horizontal actions. Actions in the field of broadband deployment, including actions generating demand for broadband, should be eligible for Union financial support in the form of financial instruments.

(57)

According to the analysis carried out in the impact assessment for Regulation (EU) No 347/2013, the number of projects of common interest contributing the most to the implementation of the strategic energy infrastructure priority corridors and areas is estimated to be approximately 100 in the field of electricity and 50 in the field of gas. Furthermore, based on the expected preponderance of electricity in Europe's energy system over the next two decades, it is estimated that assistance to electricity projects of common interest will account for the major part of the energy financial envelope under the CEF. While noting that this estimate will be subject to change as more information becomes available, and taking into account the need to ensure compliance with Regulation (EU) No 347/2013, the Commission should give due consideration to electricity projects, with the aim of making the major part of the financial assistance available to those projects over the period 2014 to 2020, subject to market uptake, the quality and maturity of actions proposed and their financing requirements. This aim is without prejudice to any possible re-allocation of available funding for energy projects.

(58)

Mid-term and ex-post evaluations should be carried out by the Commission and communicated to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions in order to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the funding and its impact on the overall goals of the CEF and the priorities of the Europe 2020 Strategy. The Commission should make public the information about specific projects under the CEF. That information should be updated annually.

(59)

As far as transport and energy are concerned, on the basis of the sector-specific guidelines laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 and in Regulation (EU) No 347/2013, lists of projects, priority corridors and areas for which this Regulation should apply have been drawn up and should be included in an annex to this Regulation. As for transport, in order to take into account possible changes in political priorities and technological capabilities, as well as traffic flows, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) should be delegated to the Commission in respect of adopting amendments to Part I of Annex I and detailing the funding priorities for eligible actions under Article 7(2) to be reflected in the work programmes.

(60)

In order to take into account the actual level of demand for funding under the specific transport objectives and to give effect to the findings of the mid-term evaluation, where it proves necessary to deviate from the allocation for a specific transport objective set out in Part IV of Annex I to this Regulation by more than five percentage points, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 TFEU should be delegated to the Commission to amend the indicative percentages for each of the specific transport objectives. The indicative allocations for specific transport objectives do not prevent the amount of EUR 11 305 500 000 transferred from the Cohesion Fund from being spent entirely on projects implementing the core network or on projects and horizontal priorities identified in Part I of Annex I to this Regulation.

(61)

In order to reflect the conclusions drawn from the implementation of the CEF, including those contained in the mid-term evaluation, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 TFEU should be delegated to the Commission to modify the list of general orientations to be taken into account when setting award criteria.

(62)

When adopting delegated acts under this Regulation, it is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level. The Commission, when preparing and drawing up delegated acts, should ensure the simultaneous, timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the European Parliament and to the Council.

(63)

In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission as regards multi-annual and annual work programmes. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (18).

(64)

The financial interests of the Union should be protected through proportionate measures throughout the expenditure cycle, including the prevention, detection and investigation of irregularities, the recovery of funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used and, where appropriate, the imposition of penalties in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012. The European Parliament should be kept informed of all such measures.

(65)

In order to ensure broad and fair competition for projects benefitting from CEF funds, the form of the contract should be consistent with the objectives and circumstances of the project. Contract conditions should be drafted in such a way as to fairly allocate the risks associated with the contract, in order to maximise cost-effectiveness and enable the contract to be performed with the optimum efficiency. This principle should apply irrespective of whether a national or international contract model is used.

(66)

Some of the infrastructure projects of common interest might need to link with and pass through neighbourhood, pre-accession and other third countries. The CEF should offer simplified means of linking and financing those infrastructures, in order to ensure coherence between internal and external instruments of the Union budget.

(67)

When third countries and entities established in third countries participate in actions contributing to projects of common interest, grants should be available only if the action is unlikely to be adequately supported by other forms of financial assistance under the CEF or under other Union programmes.

(68)

The general orientation on the basis of which the Commission is to take into account the social, climate and environmental impact, as detailed in Part V of Annex I to this Regulation, should not be applied in the field of energy, in accordance with the approach taken in Article 4(4) of Regulation (EU) No 347/2013.

(69)

In the telecommunications sector, the general orientation whereby account is to be taken of the stimulating effect of Union support on public and private investment should be applicable only to those digital service infrastructures which aim at triggering additional investments.

(70)

The general orientation whereby account is to be taken of the cross-border dimension should not be applicable in relation to broadband networks, because all investments in broadband, including those happening within Member States' borders, will enhance the connectivity of trans-European telecommunications networks.

(71)

The participation of European Free Trade Association (EFTA) States which are parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area ('the EEA Agreement') in the CEF should be in accordance with the conditions laid down in the EEA Agreement. For that purpose, each sector covered by this Regulation should be considered a separate programme. The participation of EFTA States in the CEF should be provided for, in particular, in the field of telecommunications.

(72)

As far as transport is concerned, for the purpose of the eligibility of projects of common interest in third countries under this Regulation, the indicative maps contained in Annex III to Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 should apply. In third countries for which that Regulation does not include indicative maps, projects of common interest should be eligible when there is ongoing mutual cooperation with a view to agreeing on such indicative maps.

(73)

Since the objectives of this Regulation, namely the coordination, development and financing of the trans-European networks, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather, by reason of the need for coordination of those objectives, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.

(74)

Regulations (EC) No 680/2007 and (EC) No 67/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council (19) should, for reasons of clarity, be repealed.

(75)

This Regulation should enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, in order to allow for the timely adoption of the delegated and implementing acts provided for by this Regulation,

(1)

"project of common interest" means a project identified in Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 or Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 or in a Regulation on guidelines for trans-European networks in the area of telecommunications infrastructure;

(2)

'cross-border section' means, in the transport sector, the section which ensures the continuity of a project of common interest between the nearest urban nodes on both sides of the border of two Member States or between a Member State and a neighbouring country;

(3)

'neighbouring country' means a country falling within the scope of the European Neighbourhood Policy including the Strategic Partnership, the Enlargement Policy, and the European Economic Area or the European Free Trade Association;

(4)

'third country' means any neighbouring country or any other country with which the Union may cooperate to achieve the objectives pursued by this Regulation;

(5)

"works" means the purchase, supply and deployment of components, systems and services including software, the carrying-out of development and construction and installation activities relating to a project, the acceptance of installations and the launching of a project;

(6)

"studies" means activities needed to prepare project implementation, such as preparatory, mapping, feasibility, evaluation, testing and validation studies, including in the form of software, and any other technical support measure, including prior action to define and develop a project and decide on its financing, such as reconnaissance of the sites concerned and preparation of the financial package;

(7)

'programme support actions' means, at the level of the CEF, all accompanying measures necessary for its implementation and the implementation of the individual sector-specific guidelines, such as services, in particular the provision of technical assistance, including for the use of financial instruments, as well as preparatory, feasibility, coordination, monitoring, stakeholder consultation, control, audit and evaluation activities which are required directly for the management of the CEF and the achievement of its objectives. Programme support actions include, in particular, studies, meetings, infrastructure mapping, information, dissemination, communication and awareness raising actions, expenditure linked to IT tools and networks focusing on exchanges of information about the CEF, together with all other technical and administrative assistance expenditure incurred by the Commission that may be required for the management of the CEF or implementation of the individual sector-specific guidelines. Programme support actions also include activities required in order to facilitate the preparation of projects of common interest, in particular in the Member States, eligible for financing from the Cohesion Fund, with a view to obtaining financing under this Regulation or on the financial market. Programme support actions shall also include, where appropriate, meeting the costs of the Executive Agency entrusted by the Commission with the implementation of specific parts of the CEF ("Executive Agency");

(8)

"action" means any activity which has been identified as financially and technically independent, has a set time-frame and is necessary for the implementation of a project of common interest;

(9)

"eligible costs" has the same meaning as in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012;

(10)

"beneficiary" means a Member State, an international organisation, or a public or private undertaking or body that has been selected to receive Union financial assistance under this Regulation and in accordance with the arrangements established in the relevant work programme referred to in Article 17;

(11)

"implementing body" means a public or private undertaking or body designated by a beneficiary, where the beneficiary is a Member State or an international organisation, to implement the action concerned. Such designation shall be decided upon by the beneficiary under its own responsibility and, if it requires the award of a procurement contract, in compliance with the applicable Union and national public procurement rules;

(12)

"comprehensive network" means the transport infrastructure identified in accordance with Chapter II of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013;

(13)

"core network" means the transport infrastructure identified in accordance with Chapter III of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013;

(14)

"core network corridors" means an instrument to facilitate the coordinated implementation of the core network as provided for in Chapter IV of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 and listed in Part I of Annex I to this Regulation;

(15)

"bottleneck" in the transport sector means a physical, technical or functional barrier which leads to a system break affecting the continuity of long-distance or cross-border flows and which can be surmounted by creating new infrastructure, or substantially upgrading existing infrastructure, that could bring significant improvements which will solve the bottleneck constraints;

(16)

"priority" means any priority electricity corridors, priority gas corridors or priority thematic areas designated in Regulation (EU) No 347/2013;

(17)

"telematic applications" means the applications as defined in Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013;

(18)

"energy infrastructure" means the infrastructure as defined in Regulation (EU) No 347/2013;

(19)

"synergies between sectors" means the existence, across at least two of the transport, telecommunications and energy sectors, of similar or complementary actions that may enable costs or results to be optimised through the pooling of financial, technical or human resources;

(20)

'isolated network' means the rail network of a Member State, or a part thereof, as defined in Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013.

(a)

contributing to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy, by developing modern and high-performing trans-European networks which take into account expected future traffic flows, thus benefiting the entire Union in terms of improving competitiveness on the global market and economic, social and territorial cohesion in the internal market and creating an environment more conducive to private, public or public-private investment through a combination of financial instruments and Union direct support where projects could benefit from such a combination of instruments and by appropriately exploiting synergies across the sectors.

The achievement of this objective shall be measured by the volume of private, public or public-private partnership investment in projects of common interest, and in particular the volume of private investment in projects of common interest achieved through the financial instruments under this Regulation. Special focus shall be placed on the efficient use of public investment;

(b)

enabling the Union to achieve its sustainable development targets, including a minimum 20 % reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels and a 20 % increase in energy efficiency, and raising the share of renewable energy to 20 % by 2020, thus contributing to the Union's mid-term and long-term objectives in terms of decarbonisation, while ensuring greater solidarity among Member States.

(a)

removing bottlenecks, enhancing rail interoperability, bridging missing links and, in particular, improving cross-border sections. The achievement of this objective shall be measured by:

(b)

ensuring sustainable and efficient transport systems in the long run, with a view to preparing for expected future transport flows, as well as enabling all modes of transport to be decarbonised through transition to innovative low-carbon and energy-efficient transport technologies, while optimising safety. The achievement of this objective shall be measured by:

(c)

optimising the integration and interconnection of transport modes and enhancing the interoperability of transport services, while ensuring the accessibility of transport infrastructures. The achievement of this objective shall be measured by:

(a)

increasing competitiveness by promoting the further integration of the internal energy market and the interoperability of electricity and gas networks across borders. The achievement of this objective shall be measured ex post by:

(b)

enhancing Union security of energy supply;

The achievement of this objective shall be measured ex post by:

(c)

contributing to sustainable development and protection of the environment, inter alia by the integration of energy from renewable sources into the transmission network, and by the development of smart energy networks and carbon dioxide networks.

The achievement of this objective shall be measured ex post by:

(a)

transport sector: EUR 26 250 582 000, of which EUR 11 305 500 000 shall be transferred from the Cohesion Fund to be spent in line with this Regulation exclusively in Member States eligible for funding from the Cohesion Fund;

(b)

telecommunications sector: EUR 1 141 602 000;

(c)

energy sector: EUR 5 850 075 000.

(a)

actions contributing to projects of common interest and programme support actions as provided for in Article 7;

(b)

programme support actions consisting of technical and administrative assistance expenses incurred by the Commission for the management of the CEF, including those necessary to ensure the transition between the CEF and the measures adopted under Regulation (EC) No 680/2007, up to 1 % of the financial envelope; the costs of the Executive Agency shall be included under this ceiling.

(a)

actions implementing the core network in accordance with Chapter III of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013, including the deployment of new technologies and innovation in accordance with Article 33 of that Regulation, and projects and horizontal priorities identified in Part I of Annex I to this Regulation;

(b)

actions implementing the comprehensive network in accordance with Chapter II of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013, when such actions contribute to bridging missing links, facilitating cross-border traffic flows or removing bottlenecks and when those actions also contribute to the development of the core network or interconnect core network corridors, or when such actions contribute to the deployment of ERTMS on principal routes of rail freight corridors as defined in the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 913/2010, up to a ceiling of 5 % of the financial envelope for transport as specified in Article 5 of this Regulation;

(c)

studies for projects of common interest as defined in points (b) and (c) of Article 8(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013;

(d)

studies for cross-border priority projects as defined in Annex III to Decision No 661/2010/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (22);

(e)

actions supporting projects of common interest as defined in points (a), (d) and (e) of Article 8(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013;

(f)

actions implementing transport infrastructure in nodes of the core network, including urban nodes, as defined in Article 41 of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013;

(g)

actions supporting telematic applications systems in accordance with Article 31 of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013;

(h)

actions supporting freight transport services in accordance with Article 32 of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013;

(i)

actions to reduce rail freight noise, including by retrofitting existing rolling stock in cooperation with, inter alia, the railway industry;

(j)

programme support actions;

(k)

actions implementing safe and secure infrastructure in accordance with Article 34 of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013;

(l)

actions supporting motorways of the sea as provided for in Article 21 of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013.

(a)

generic services, core service platforms and programme support actions shall be financed though grants and/or procurement;

(b)

actions in the field of broadband networks shall be financed through financial instruments.

(a)

with regard to grants for studies, 50 % of the eligible costs;

(b)

with regard to grants for works:

(c)

with regard to grants for telematic applications systems and services:

(a)

for actions in the field of generic services: 75 % of the eligible costs;

(b)

for horizontal actions including infrastructure mapping, twinning and technical assistance: 75 % of the eligible costs.

(a)

actions with regard to grants for studies;

(b)

actions with regard to grants for works:

(c)

actions with regard to grants for telematic applications systems and services:

(d)

actions with regard to grants to support new technologies and innovation for all modes of transport.

(a)

provide for specific conditions, such as the place of performance of the procured activities, where such conditions are duly justified by the objectives of the actions and provided such conditions do not infringe Union and national public procurement principles;

(b)

authorise the multiple award of contracts within the same procedure ("multiple sourcing").

(a)

equity instruments, such as investment funds with a focus on providing risk capital for actions contributing to projects of common interest;

(b)

loans and/or guarantees facilitated by risk-sharing instruments, including the credit enhancement mechanism for project bonds, backing individual projects or portfolios of projects issued by a financial institution on its own resources with a Union contribution to the provisioning and/or capital allocation.

(a)

represent European added value;

(b)

respond to the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy;

(c)

present a leverage effect with regard to Union support, i.e. aim at mobilising a global investment exceeding the size of the Union contribution according to the indicators defined in advance.

(a)

that the projects of common interest in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 are likely to be realised fully or partly under the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020;

(b)

that the modifications comply with the eligibility criteria set out in Article 7 of this Regulation;

(c)

as regards Part I of Annex I to this Regulation, that all sections include infrastructure projects the realisation of which will necessitate their inclusion in a multiannual work programme under Article 17(3) of this Regulation, without changing the alignment of the core network corridors.

(a)

the amendments are made in accordance with the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012, including the ex ante evaluation referred to in point (f) of Article 140(2) thereof, and

(b)

the amendments are limited to:

(i)

the evaluation of the pilot phase of the Project Bond Initiative carried out in 2015 is positive; and

(ii)

the take-up of financial instruments exceeds 8 % in terms of project contractual commitments.