This project took a closer look at regional institutions in the European electricity sector and how they could potentially contribute to a future EU energy governance as proposed by the EU Commission in its 2030 climate and energy package. Ecologic Institute produced a policy paper on the challenges and opportunities of regional cooperation for reaching the EU 2030 climate and energy targets.

At the European Council summit in October 2014 the European heads of state agreed to new climate and energy targets for 2030, including a domestic greenhouse gas reduction target of at least 40% compared to 1990 and at least 27% renewable energy and energy savings.

The council also confirmed that a new governance system would be put in place, which will aim, among other things, to "foster regional cooperation between Member States" in order to help achieve these goals. However, the proposed governance approach and especially its element of regional cooperation still require further specification. To contribute to this debate, Ecologic Institute examined several existing institutions and instruments for regional cooperation, including the North Seas Countries Offshore Grid Initiative (NSCOGI) and the Pentalateral Energy Forum (PEF), in order to derive relevant findings regarding:

1. the opportunities, risks and challenges of regional cooperation,  
2. the contribution of regional institutions to the development of a new energy governance,
3. the actors that should be involved in these institutions or other relevant processes in order to provide adequate support for large infrastructure investments, and
4. how these institutions can be strenghtened in the future.

The research was based on literature review and interviews with experts.