Communication from the Danish Government concerning the invitation to apply for licences to prospect for and extract hydrocarbons in an area of the North Sea

Eighth Danish licensing round

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2018/C 347/05)

With reference to Article 3(2)(a) of Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 1994 on the conditions for granting and using authorizations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons (1), we hereby inform you that pursuant to Section 12(1)(a) of the Act on the exploitation of Denmark’s underground resources (see Consolidation Act No 960 of 13 September 2011, as subsequently amended), applications for licences for an area in the North Sea on the Danish continental shelf west of ED50 longitude 6° 15′ E (Central Graben and adjacent areas) may be submitted until 12:00 on 1 February 2019. If the period between the publication of this communication in the Official Journal of the European Union and 1 February 2019 is less than 90 days, applications may be submitted until 12:00 on the 90th day after its publication in the Official Journal or, if the 90th day falls on a weekend, a public holiday, Constitution Day, Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, until 12:00 on the following working day.

Applications may be submitted for licences to prospect for and extract hydrocarbons in unlicensed parts of an area in and around the Central Graben in the North Sea, as shown on the map available on the Danish Energy Agency’s website. Towards the north, west and south, the area is delimited by the continental shelf boundaries with Norway, the United Kingdom and Germany, and towards the east by longitude 6° 15′ E (ED50).

Applications may also be submitted for licences to prospect for and extract hydrocarbons in unlicensed layers below licensed areas delimited downwards in terms of depth and above licensed areas delimited upwards.

Applications may also be submitted for any areas that change status from licensed to unlicensed up to 90 days before the closing date for applications.

Provisions and criteria within the meaning of Article 5(1) of Directive 94/22/EC (see Consolidation Act No 960 of 13 September 2011 on the exploitation of Denmark’s underground resources, as subsequently amended) were published on 26 June 2018 in Official Gazette No 120 under ‘Various announcements: Calls for tender’.

In accordance with Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2001 on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment (2), the Danish Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate has carried out an environmental assessment of the plan on which the tender procedure is based. Further details of the plan and the assessment are available on the Danish Energy Agency’s website.

Applications should be sent to the following address, from which further information based on Directive 94/22/EC is available:

Danish Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate Danish Energy Agency Amaliegade 44 1256 Copenhagen K DENMARK Tel. +45 33926700 Email: ens@ens.dk Website: http://www.ens.dk, http://www.ens.dk/8thRound (information on the eighth licensing round and the environmental assessment)

The Danish Energy Agency is expected to relocate at the start of 2019. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to keep themselves informed of the delivery address via the Agency’s website or through telephone contact with the Agency.

Licences are expected to be granted within six months of the end of the application period.

(1) OJ L 164, 30.6.1994, p. 3.

(2) OJ L 197, 21.7.2001, p. 30.