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Energy, Climate change, Environment
Energy

Public acceptance and stakeholder engagement

Support from EU citizens and regular contact with engaged stakeholders is crucial to keep modernising and investing in the EU’s energy infrastructure.

Without the buy-in from public stakeholders, infrastructure buildout is going to be significantly delayed, which risks impeding the goals of the energy transition.

A connected modern energy grid will also bring advantages in case of unexpected shortages or blackouts, especially in countries vulnerable to supply shortages, such as islands or those located on the periphery of Europe.

Pact for Engagement

Adopted in November 2023 during the 'PCI Energy Days', the Pact for Engagement aims to ensure early, regular and meaningful stakeholder engagement in grid development to address potential public opposition and ensure an efficient deployment of energy networks. 

The Pact for Engagement is part of the EU Action Plan for Grids that was published in November 2023 to help deliver on the European Green Deal.

©AdobeStock/Ruud Morijn

The pact is based on 4 pillars of action, covering

  • strengthened efforts in communicating the role of grids for the energy transition
  • more engagement in the fora focusing on grid acceleration and faster implementation of permitting rules
  • sustained dialogue with regulators on the relevance and recognition of engagement activities
  • adequate organisational set-ups for stakeholder engagement activities

It builds on the lessons learned from a decade of implementing the TEN-E Regulation and the evaluation of its performance, best practice exchanges at the PCI Energy Days and Energy Infrastructure Forum, and input from project promoters and civil society in different fora.

The first stakeholders to co-sign the pact were the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), EU Distribution System Operators (DSO) Entity, and the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI). By the beginning of 2025, more than 30 organisations had co-signed the pact, endorsing its principles.

10 Guiding Principles for early Public Engagement

During the PCI Energy Days 2024, 10 Guiding Principles for early Public Engagement for the Development of Energy Infrastructure Projects were endorsed by the Commission and the stakeholders of the pact. The principles primarily address stakeholders, who are involved in the development of energy infrastructure on the ground, such as project developers and decision-makers, including regulatory and permitting authorities, as well as commercial industrial stakeholders, who benefit from the expansion of energy infrastructure. While the principles themselves are not legally binding, they establish a common understanding for early engagement. The principles are complemented by best practice examples shared by stakeholders of the pact. 

In 2024, the Commission set up a dedicated stakeholder group to advance the Pact for Engagement and develop the Guiding Principles. The Commission will continue to work closely with all parties adhering to the pact, encouraging others to join.

Communicate and engage with citizens

The European Commission supports energy infrastructure projects, and in particular, cross-border projects that are selected as Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) and Projects of Mutual Interest (PMIs). 

EU citizens’ support for these projects is important, especially, but not only, from those living in the communities and regions that benefit most from the PCIs/PMIs, whether it is the construction of a new undersea link or overhead line, or the development of a smart grid.

The construction of cross-border energy infrastructure projects is often complex, crossing several jurisdictions and affecting several communities. Although they bring important benefits by increasing the security of supply, ensuring price convergence across regions and integrating large shares of renewables, these benefits are not always visible and can therefore trigger concerns and opposition.

Delays in the construction means delay of the benefits the projects should bring and an overall slow-down of the energy transition.

Local awareness campaigns

To build local support for a PCI, it is crucial to inform citizens about the need for that project, what are the alternatives considered and the benefits the project will bring to their communities. It is equally important to communicate in a transparent manner about the impact the new energy infrastructure might have at the local level and economy and the different measures taken to ease such impact. Organising regular communication and engagement campaigns before the start of a project will address concerns, increase trust in the process and acceptance by potentially allowing for collaborative solutions on the ground.

The European Commission developed in 2021 a kit of communication material for PCIs that can support promoters to carry out local communication initiatives. It includes