Posts Tagged ‘European Commission’
European Commission representatives visit Latvia for European Semester consultations
From 20 to 22 January, European Commission consultations with public administration authorities and representatives of the non-governmental sector took place in Riga within the framework of the European Semester process.
The objective of these consultations is to enable colleagues from various Directorates-General to gain a better understanding of current developments in Latvia and to identify issues and topics that could be included in the European Commission’s 2026 Country Report and the country-specific recommendations for Latvia, which the Commission plans to publish in June and which will also be relevant in the context of further EU funds programming. During this visit, more than 20 European Commission representatives were in Latvia, the majority of whom were from the Reform and Investment Task Force (SG.REFORM) and the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (ECFIN), which is responsible for the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility in Latvia.
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Originally published on 23 Jan
Read MorePower play The EU’s energy upgrade
The European Commission has released its set of proposals for helping EU members to move some of the union’s most important energy projects forward. The measures were first aired in September by Ursula von der Leyen, the commission’s president, as a way to speed up projects that can make Europe’s energy net more resilient and—consumers will like this—its power cheaper.
In addition to cutting paperwork, the European Grids Package and the Energy Highways initiative will increase the amount of funding Brussels is willing to make available to big energy projects five-fold, to €30 billion. Ms von der Leyen had already identified the Harmony Link, connecting the Baltic states to Poland, and Energy Island Bornholm, an energy project that could serve as blue-print for hugely ambitious energy projects, as two of her eight highways towards the union’s power needs. Yesterday, she put the pedal to the metal.
Read MoreCEF Energy supports landmark Bornholm Energy Island interconnector between Denmark and Germany
CINEA has signed a grant agreement worth €645.2 million under the CEF Energy programme to support the Danish side of the Bornholm Energy Island (BEI) Hybrid Offshore Interconnector – one of Europe’s most ambitious and strategic energy infrastructure projects.
The grant signature ceremony took place on 4 September 2025 in Copenhagen, during the Informal meeting of energy ministers, marking a significant step towards a more resilient, interconnected, and sustainable European energy system.
Connecting offshore wind to millions of consumers
Led by Energinet (Denmark) and 50Hertz (Germany), this innovative and visionary project will connect multiple wind farms together via a single offshore energy hub on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. From there, 3 GW of offshore green electricity will be brought onshore and distributed through Denmark and Germany, helping to power millions of homes and businesses with clean electricity.
To make this possible, CEF Energy is funding the construction of two new converter stations (one on Bornholm and one in Zealand), and the installation of an extensive submarine cable system of around 200 kilometres, complemented by a 17-kilometre onshore connection, between Zealand and Bornholm. This infrastructure will serve as a crucial bridge between offshore generation and consumers, enabling electricity to flow flexibly where it is needed most. This innovative setup supports energy security, price stability, and the integration of renewable energy on a much larger scale than before.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 4 Sep
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