On July 15, 2016 EU Member States approved €263 million funding in key trans-European energy infrastructure projects,of which the largest part will go to gas infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region and the rest to fund electricity connections across Europe. In total, nine projects were selected for funding through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
“Well-connected energy infrastructure is essential to the Energy Union. This EU support will help fill the still-existing gaps in energy infrastructure, putting us on the path to a truly connected European energy market. This is a prerequisite to a secure energy supply as well as an efficient use of our energy resources and integration of renewables to the grid..2, the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete said:
The construction of the Balticconnector (EU support €187.5 million), the first bi-directional sub-sea gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland will end the historical dependence of Finland from a single gas supplier and will enable competition on the regional gas market.
In the electricity sector, the list will include the construction of a new 100 km electricity line between Dobrudja and Burgas in Bulgaria (EU support €29.9 million). Studies needed to launch the projects will also be supported. The list includes, among others, a preparatory study which will identify the technical requirements for the secure and reliable operation of the Baltic States’ power system. The study (EU support €125 010) is essential to help evaluate whether the Baltic States’ power system is capable of operating in an isolated mode and for analysing different possibilities for its synchronous connection with either the Continental European Network or the network of the Nordic countries. The list also includes a study on the Front End Engineering Design for an interconnection at Nea Messimvria in Greece (EU support €243 250). The metering and regulating station will help connect the Greek natural gas transmission system with the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project which is currently under construction.
Of the nine proposals selected for funding:
With a total of €800 million available for grants under CEF Energy in 2016, the second 2016 call for proposals with an indicative budget of €600 million is currently ongoing and will close on 8 November.
List of all projects receiving EU support under the current call 
The CTC Network promotes the accelerated transfer of environmentally sound technologies for low carbon and climate resilient development at the request of developing countries.
