EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 106: Notat samt høringssvar vedr. evaluering af meddelelsen om vigtige projekter af fælleseuropæisk interesse (IPCEI)

Europaudvalget 2019-20
EUU Alm.del Bilag 106
Offentligt

NOTAT

30. October 2019

DocumentNumber

Jen-dep

Overskrift

The Danish Government’s response to the evaluation of the Commu-

nication on Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI)

The Danish Government welcomes the opportunity to comment on the

evaluation on the Communication on Important Projects of Common Eu-

ropean Interest (IPCEI)

The Danish Government finds that the Communication on IPCEI (2014/C

188/02) has contributed in a positive way to provide helpful guidelines for

member states when preparing schemes for an approval process that is as

smooth and quick as possible, while ensuring a strict use and application of

IPCEIs. When large cross border projects with clear common European

added value entail so big risks that private investors are not willing to take

them alone or considered unprofitable it is important that the states in-

volved have the opportunity to grant state aid. However, such state aid

should stimulate additional private investments and not distort competition

in a disproportional way.

When dealing with big projects and potentially large amounts of state aid

there is a potential for substantial distortion of the competition on the inter-

nal market.

Therefore, the Danish Government finds it important that state aid for IP-

CEIs in particular is assessed thoroughly by the Commission in a manner

where the balance test is carried out on a solid and well-informed founda-

tion of information. In addition the Commission should continue to apply

the market-based principles in the communication, including monitoring

the ex-post changes in the behavior as well as general market changes re-

sulting from the state aid.

It is the Danish opinion that an IPCEIs within strategic value chains that

are granted state aid should be open for participation of interested under-

takings from all EU Member states.

EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 106: Notat samt høringssvar vedr. evaluering af meddelelsen om vigtige projekter af fælleseuropæisk interesse (IPCEI)

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Currently there is no clear procedure for how Member States can coordi-

nate and cooperate on IPCEIs in advance of the state aid assessment. When

dealing with strategic value chain IPCEIs we suggest that all Member

States are provided with project descriptions well in advance before a for-

mal state aid notification is sent to the Commission. We suggest a formal-

ized process where Member States and other stakeholders are given a pe-

riod where they can submit comments on the project or request to join the

project. We need to ensure a transparent and inclusive process that allows

for stakeholders and companies of all sizes to participate and contribute in

order to ensure the best possible projects.

In general, we believe that IPCEIs should be allowed to pursue other ob-

jectives beyond climate and environmental objectives. However, strategic

value chain IPCEIs should contribute in a clear and identifiable manner to

one of the EU’s

climate objectives. The 2014 communication already states

that projects must contribute in a concrete, clear and identifiable manner to

one of more EU objectives, including but not limited to sustainable growth

and the 2030 framework for climate and energy policies. We suggest put-

ting higher weight on this criterion for projects to contribute to a climate

neutral economy in the EU by 2050 at the latest in the Commissions’ as-

sessment of strategic value chain IPCEIs by giving it precedence over other

EU objectives, i.e. exalting the criterion.

Please find enclosed the Danish response to the questionnaire on Evalua-

tion of the Communication on Important Projects of Common European

Interest (IPCEI) in the context of the fitness check on State aid policy.

Please also find two Danish non-papers with suggestions to a greener and

more transparent use of strategic value chain IPCEI and the governance

structure for strategic value chains. We stand ready to further elaborate on

our ideas or answer any follow-up questions you may have.

Finally, we refer to the Danish Government’s response of 8

August on the

general evaluation of the state aid rules also and in particular, the section

on the organisation and financing of transport infrastructure projects

(“Transport

infrastructure and the implementation of the Trans-European

transport network (TEN-T)”).