6.9.2022
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 342/75 Wednesday 16 February 2022
46.
Considers it of paramount importance to build a broad public consensus around ORE projects through the involvement of local actors to increase public acceptance of offshore wind and the large infrastructure it requires; calls for the transparent and meaningful involvement of coastal communities in projects, including those situated in the most peripheral regions and islands, as well as other stakeholders; stresses the importance of increasing the general public’s trust in the ability of renewable energy to achieve energy independence and secure energy supplies; encourages the Commission and the Member States to develop one-stop shops with streamlined information on financing possibilities for demonstration projects for breakthrough ORE technologies;
Aligning maritime spatial plans and national energy and climate plans
47.
Notes that the total space required to ensure the offshore wind capacity for the northern seas meets the 2050 goals is expected to be 2,8 %; strongly believes that involving ORE developers early on in the process will contribute to the successful allocation of sea space; stresses that space allocation should be the result of joint maritime spatial planning and integrated coastal management that goes beyond national borders; calls for a transparent process and for regional maritime spatial plans to be accessible in order to facilitate an early and inclusive approach for all stakeholders;
48.
Draws attention to the recommendations of the Horizon-2020-funded project on multi-use in European seas, which is exploring the opportunities for multi-use in European seas across five EU sea basins; recalls its guidance that sustainable development of the ocean can no longer rely on single-sector management, but requires a more holistic, integrated approach, and that the multi-use is not limited to sharing the ‘same’ maritime space, but should encompass joint use of infrastructure and other assets and joint activities;
49.
Underlines the urgency of ensuring sufficient space for the development of ORE, and considers that multi-use needs should be proactively facilitated and incentivised through public regulatory bodies and respective support programmes, going well beyond mere spatial planning solutions; notes that when developing their maritime spatial plans, the Member States were asked to seek not only best available data and broad public participation, but also opportunities for co-location of maritime activities;
50.
Notes that pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, the Member States were required to submit their national energy and climate plans (NECPs) by 31 December 2019 and are required to submit a progress report every two years; notes that pursuant to Directive 2014/89/EU, the Member States were required to draw up maritime spatial plans by 31 March 2021; deplores the fact that not all Member States have submitted their maritime spatial plans yet and urges the Commission to take action; notes the risk of incompatibility of the NECPs and maritime spatial plans as regards space allocation; stresses that urgent alignment of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive and NECP Regulation, as well as other relevant EU legislation, is needed; urges the Member States to immediately coordinate and lay out plans for 2030 and post-2030 offshore development;
51.
Welcomes, in this regard, the strategy’s aim of providing a long-term framework that promotes sound coexistence between offshore infrastructure and other uses of sea space and contributes to the protection of the environment;
52.
Calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt a full and holistic life-cycle approach when planning and deploying the 300 GW to 450 GW of ORE capacity by 2050;
53.
Calls on the Commission to conduct an analysis of the impacts of the decommissioning of offshore installations and to adopt, if necessary, an EU strategy on sustainable decommissioning of offshore infrastructure in order to minimise environmental, safety and economic impacts; highlights that such a strategy should include the dismantling of the existing infrastructure and cover future decommissioning activities; stresses that a future EU-wide legal framework will only be necessary if the analysis shows that the current legal framework and instruments in the EU Member States have significant shortcomings; urges the Commission to set up a simple monitoring framework that can secure transparent and efficient reporting of the progress of the deployment of ORE showing whether Member States are on track to reach the 2030 and 2050 GW targets; believes that the Commission should report to Parliament, in line with the reporting requirements under the Renewable Energy Directive, on whether the deployment of ORE is on track;