Cross-border projects in the field of renewable energy
Article 7
1. Cross-border projects in the field of renewable energy shall contribute to decarbonisation, to completing the internal energy market and to enhancing the security of supply. Those projects shall be included in a cooperation agreement or in any other kind of arrangement between two or more Member States or arrangements between one or more Member States and one or more third countries as set out in Articles 8, 9, 11 and 13 of Directive (EU) 2018/2001. Those projects shall meet the objectives, the general criteria and the procedure laid down in Part IV of the Annex to this Regulation. 2. By 31 December 2021, the Commission shall adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 26 laying down, without prejudice to the award criteria set out in Article 14, specific selection criteria and the details of the process for selecting the projects. The Commission shall publish the methodologies for assessing the contribution of the project to the general criteria and for producing the cost-benefit analysis specified in Part IV of the Annex. 3. Studies that aim to develop and identify cross-border projects in the field of renewable energy shall be eligible for funding under this Regulation. 4. Cross-border projects in the field of renewable energy are eligible for Union funding for works if they meet the following additional criteria: (a) the project specific cost-benefit analysis pursuant to Part IV, point 3, of the Annex is compulsory for all supported projects and takes into account any revenues resulting from support schemes, has been performed in a transparent, comprehensive and complete manner and provides evidence concerning the existence of significant cost savings or benefits, or both, in terms of system integration, environmental sustainability, security of supply or innovation; and (b) the applicant demonstrates that the project would not materialise in the absence of the grant or that the project cannot be commercially viable in the absence of the grant. 5. The amount of the grant for works shall: (a) be proportionate to the cost savings or benefits referred to in Part IV, point 2(b), of the Annex, or both; (b) not exceed the amount required to ensure that the project materialises or becomes commercially viable; and (c) comply with Article 15(3). 6. The CEF shall provide for the possibility of coordinated funding with the enabling framework for renewable energy deployment referred to in Article 3(5) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 and co-funding with the Union renewable energy financing mechanism referred to in Article 33 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999. 7. The Commission shall regularly assess the uptake of funds for cross-border projects in the field of renewable energy against the reference amount set out in Article 4(2), point (b), of this Regulation. Following that assessment, in the absence of sufficient market uptake of funds for cross-border projects in the field of renewable energy, the unused budget envisaged for those projects shall be used to meet the objectives of the trans-European energy networks set out in Article 3(2), point (b)(i), of this Regulation for eligible actions referred in Article 9(3) point (a), of this Regulation and, from 2024, may also be used to co-fund the Union renewable energy financing mechanism established under Regulation (EU) 2018/1999. 8. The Commission shall adopt an implementing act, laying down specific rules on co-funding between the parts on cross-border projects in the field of renewable energy under the CEF and the Union renewable energy financing mechanism established under Article 33 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 24(2) of this Regulation.