Obtaining an overall picture of the development of investment in energy infrastructure in the Union is essential for the Commission to perform its tasks in the field of energy. The availability of regular and up-to-date data and information should enable the Commission to make the necessary comparisons, evaluations or to propose relevant measures based on appropriate figures and analysis, in particular concerning the future energy supply-demand balance.
(2)
The energy landscape within and outside the Union has changed significantly in recent years and makes investment in energy infrastructure a crucial issue for securing the Union’s energy supply, for the functioning of the internal market and for the transition towards a low-carbon energy system the Union has begun.
(3)
The new energy context requires significant investment in all kinds of infrastructure in all energy sectors as well as the development of new types of infrastructure and new technologies to be taken up by the market. The liberalisation of the energy sector and the further integration of the internal market give a more prominent role to economic operators for investment. At the same time, new policy requirements such as targets affecting the fuel mix will alter Member States’ policies towards new and/or modernised energy infrastructure.
(4)
In this context, greater attention should be paid to investment in energy infrastructure in the Union, in particular with a view to anticipating problems, promoting best practices and establishing greater transparency on the future development of the Union’s energy system.
(5)
The Commission and in particular its Market Observatory for Energy should therefore have at its disposal accurate data and information on investment projects, including decommissioning, in the most significant components of the energy system of the Union.
(6)
Data and information regarding foreseeable developments in production, transmission and storage capacities and projects in the various energy sectors are of interest to the Union and important to future investment. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the Commission is notified of investment projects on which construction or decommissioning work has started or on which a final investment decision has been taken.
(7)
Pursuant to Articles 41 and 42 of the Euratom Treaty, undertakings are under an obligation to notify their investment projects. It is necessary to supplement such information with, in particular, a regular reporting on the implementation of investment projects. Such additional reporting is without prejudice to Articles 41 to 44 of the Euratom Treaty.
(8)
In order for the Commission to have a consistent view of the future developments of the Union’s energy system as a whole, a harmonised reporting framework for investment projects based on updated categories for official data and information to be transmitted by the Member States is necessary.
(9)
Member States should, to this end, notify to the Commission, data and information on investment projects in energy infrastructure concerning production, storage and transport of oil, natural gas, electricity, including electricity from renewable sources, bio-fuels and the capture and storage of carbon dioxide planned or under construction in their territory, including interconnections with third countries. Undertakings concerned should be under an obligation to notify to the Member State the data and information in question.
(10)
Given the time horizon of investment projects in the energy sector, reporting every two years should be sufficient.
(11)
With a view to avoiding disproportionate administrative burdens and to minimise costs to Member States and undertakings in particular for small and medium enterprises, this Regulation should give the possibility to exempt Member States and undertakings from reporting obligations provided that equivalent information is supplied to the Commission pursuant to energy sector-specific legal acts, adopted by the institutions of the Union, aiming at achieving the objectives of competitive energy markets in the Union, of sustainability of the energy system of the Union and of the security of energy supply to the Union. Any duplication of reporting requirements specified in the third internal market package for electricity and natural gas should therefore be avoided.
(12)
To process data as well as to simplify and secure data notification, the Commission and in particular its Market Observatory for Energy should be able to take all appropriate measures to that effect, in particular the operation of integrated IT tools and procedures.
(13)
The protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Member States is governed by Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (1), while the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Commission is governed by Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2). This Regulation leaves those provisions intact.
(14)
Member States, or their delegated entities, and the Commission should preserve the confidentiality of commercially sensitive data and information. Therefore, Member States or their delegated entities should, with the exception of data and information related to crossborder transmission projects, aggregate such data and information at national level before submitting it to the Commission. If required the Commission should further aggregate this data in such a way that no details concerning individual undertakings and installations are disclosed or can be inferred.
(15)
The Commission and in particular its Market Observatory for Energy should provide a regular and cross-sector analysis of the structural evolution and perspectives of the Union energy system and, where appropriate, more focused analysis on certain aspects of this energy system. This analysis should in particular contribute to identifying possible infrastructure and investment gaps in view of an energy supply and demand balance. The analysis should also form a contribution to a discussion at Union level about energy infrastructures and should therefore be forwarded to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee and made available to interested parties.
(16)
The Commission may be assisted by experts from Member States or any other competent experts, with a view to developing a common understanding of potential infrastructure gaps and associated risks and to fostering transparency regarding future developments.
(17)
Building as far as possible on the notification format used under Commission Regulation (EC) No 2386/96 (3) which is applying Council Regulation (EC) No 736/96 of 22 April 1996 on notifying the Commission of investment projects of interest to the Community in the petroleum, natural gas and electricity sectors (4), and after consultation of national experts, the technical measures necessary for the implementation of this Regulation should be adopted by the Commission.
(18)
Given the extent of amendments necessary to adapt it to today’s energy challenges and for the sake of clarity, Regulation (EC) No 736/96 should be repealed and replaced by a new Regulation,
