Trans-European energy networks, guidelines: list of projects of common interest

PURPOSE : to bring up-to-date the series of guidelines for trans-European energy networks. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Decision 1741/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision 1254/96/EC laying down a series of guidelines for trans-European energy networks. CONTENT : the Council Decision aims to update the indicative list of projects of common interest presented in the Annex of Decision 1254/96/EC, by modifying the description of certain projects on this list and by adding projects that have reached maturity in the meantime that comply with the criteria laid down in the aforementioned Decision. Overall, 21 projects are retained by the Council. These include: - 5 projects which have already been identified and the description of which has changed: Spain: strengthening and development of internal connections; Greece: strengthening and development of internal connections; Ireland/United Kingdom: strengthening of the gas transport capacity; France: developing underground gas storage facilities; Russia/Ukraine/Moldovia/Romania/Bulgaria/Greece/other Balkan countries: improvements to the gas transportation networks; - 16 are new projects: Ireland/United Kingdom (Wales): connection by submarine cable of Ireland to the network of the United Kingdom; United Kingdom (Scotland): connection by submarine cable of the Shetland Islands; Greece: connections between the islands and between the Islands and the mainland; Denmark/Germany: strengthening the aerial connections between the two countries; United Kingdom (Northern Ireland): strengthening of internal connections in Northern Ireland, in relation to the interconnections with Ireland; Italy/Greece/other Balkan countries: construction of a gas pipeline; Austria/Czech Republic: connection of a gas pipeline; Austria: interconnection of isolated gas transmission networks; Austria/Slovenia/Croatia: strengthening of the gas transport capacity; Germany: developing underground gas storage facilities; Italy: construction of an offshore LNG terminal; United Kingdom: developing underground gas storage facilities; Caspian Sea countries/EU: construction of new gas pipelines; The Netherlands/Germany/Switzerland/Italy: increasing gas transport capacity of the TENP pipeline; Belgium/France/Switzerland: increasing gas transport capacity from North Western Europe through France from Italy; Denmark/Poland: construction of a gas pipeline through Denmark to Poland. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 06/08/1999.�