## 2 Literature Review
### Offshore Wind Energy Policies and Initiatives  
Over the past few years, several policies and initiatives have been employed with regard to offshore wind energy and, consequently, have been contributing to its development. According to [PERSON] (2018) [60], policy associated with offshore wind energy should cover five major areas: government and fiscal support, quota-based incentives, availability of the specific location, capital for investment, and the construction of an ecosystem favorable to ReD. The EU has established several measures that support the development of this type of energy, including the recent Ocean Energy Strategic Roadmap report. This document, prepared by the European Commission, highlights that EU members must invest in creating conditions for the development of ocean energy technologies, namely by reducing the risk associated with investment, simplifying licensing, and establishing the best test sites for the pre-commercial launch phases [61]. The different policies that support renewable energies, such as the Paris Agreement, the EU25 energy policy, and national policies, have contributed to an increase in demand for sites to produce offshore wind energy. However, policies related to the electricity market regarding the distribution of energy at sea and on land, could further stimulate the production of this type of energy. Furthermore, cooperation between sea and regional basins could encourage multiple interconnections and the development of a network with new transnational development zones. Another aspect is related to the policy to stimulate the multiple use of offshore wind energy jointly with recreational activities, such as fishing and aquaculture, since this aspect can change the planning and design criteria of an offshore wind farm, as well as the farm. Regarding the process of implementing an offshore wind farm, all steps, such as planning consent, selection, design, and location, must be in accordance with local, national, and European policy. Regarding the actors that support the production of offshore wind energy, we highlight WindEurope (European Wind Energy Association), ENTSO-E (European Network of Transmission Systems Operators), and Europacable (Europe's leading cable producer). With regard to the initiatives that have supported the prospection of offshore wind energy, we highlight those described in Table 4[23; 62]. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt}} \hline \hline
**Initiative Name** & **Brief Explanation of the Initiative** \\ \hline Political declaration on energy cooperation between North Sea countries & It aims to further strengthen the energy cooperation of countries in the North Sea region, with regard to offshore wind energy. \\ Good Practice WIND (Intelligent Energy Europe) & It explains the barriers to the development of onshore/offshore wind production, with objectives for renewable energies, as well as the active involvement of communities in the development and implementation of these measures. \\ The North Sea Grid Project & It is a research project funded by Intelligent Energy Europe, on the implementation of an offshore network in the North Sea. \\ The North Seas Countries Offshore Grid Initiative (NSCOGI) & North Sea Countries offshore network initiative, with the development of a regional cooperation of 10 countries, in order to facilitate the coordinated development of a possible offshore electricity network in the North Sea area. \\ Friends of the Super Grid (FOSG) & It aims to create policies for the construction of a European energy distribution super-network. \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Initiatives for the development of offshore wind energy. In Table 5, the policies and good practices that have contributed to the development of offshore wind energy are presented [63]. Based on the table presented, it is considered that among the various mechanisms used to encourage the introduction and development of wind energy, fixed remuneration tariffs (FIT) represent the most frequently used.