Central and South-Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity (CESEC) works to accelerate market integration, the deployment of renewables and the integration of hydrogen and biomethane into networks in the region.
CESEC members
The High-Level Group was set up in 2015. EU countries that are members include Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania and Slovenia. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (in line with the United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 and the International Court of Justice Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence), Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine, as Energy Community contracting parties, are also members.
CESEC objective
Initially, the main focus of CESEC was to coordinate efforts to facilitate the swift completion of cross-border and trans-European projects that diversified gas supplies to the region, develop regional gas markets and implement harmonised EU rules to ensure the optimal functioning of the energy infrastructure.
At the 4th CESEC ministerial meeting in Bucharest in September 2017, energy ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), extending the scope of CESEC cooperation. Since then, its objective also includes
- a joint approach on electricity markets, energy efficiency and renewable development
- a list of priority projects to build an interconnected regional electricity market
- specific actions to boost renewables and investment in energy efficiency in a region with vast growth potential in these areas
Strategic guidance and action plans
Beyond the MoU, the cooperation and work is guided by the strategic guidelines of the CESEC Ministers, defined and agreed in Ministerial Conclusions.
The strategic steer of Ministers is translated into concrete deliverables defined in detail in the CESEC action plans: one on electricity and renewable energy and another on gases.
The latest conclusions and action plans were endorsed by the CESEC Ministers on 29 October 2024 in Budapest, Hungary. They reflect the priorities of CESEC, not only in the above-mentioned areas, but also in increasing the integration of renewable and low-carbon gases and agreed to integrating Projects of Energy Community Interest (PECIs). Their importance was underscored under point 10 of the Ministerial conclusions and the PECIs eligibility under numerous financial programs was noted, conditional to meeting the respective eligibility criteria under these programs.
Potential for renewable and low-carbon gas deployment
The Commission published a study in July 2024 on the CESEC’s region potential for renewable and low-carbon gas deployment in the context of infrastructure development. It assesses prospects for ramping up renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production and off-take in the 16 CESEC countries.
It evaluates the availability of reliable and accessible infrastructure and its readiness and technical potential to transport hydrogen. The study also takes stock of the most common technical, safety and economic challenges related to the hydrogen transmission and identifies the main challenges and key actions that the CESEC High-Level Group can take to address the infrastructure and regulatory priorities, bottlenecks and needs for renewable and low-carbon gas integration.
CESEC meetings
The first CESEC High-Level Group meeting took place in February 2015. The most recent CESEC Ministerial meeting took place on 29 October 2024 in Budapest.
All CESEC High-Level Group Ministerial and Plenary Working Group meeting agendas, Ministerial conclusions and other accompanying documents are published and available in chronological order in a dedicated CIRCABC.
Documents
- CESEC - Memorandum of Understanding (updated September 2017)
- CESEC Ministerial Conclusions Budapest (29 October 2024)
- CESEC Electricity RES Action Plan (29 October 2024)
- CESEC Action Plan on Gases (19 January 2024)