The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) aims to transform the way we produce and use energy in the EU, achieving EU leadership in the development of technological solutions to reach the 2030 energy and climate goals.
The SET Plan, supported by its Strategic Energy Technologies Information System (SETIS), is the key implementing instrument of the European Commission’s Energy Union Research and Innovation (R&I) Strategy.
The 11th SET Plan Conference took place in Vienna on 20-21 November 2018, and took stock of progress on the SET Plan actions, following endorsement of the relevant
Implementation Plans (IPs) [1] . DG ENER’s Director General, Dominique Ristori, presented the 2018 progress report,
SET Plan delivering results [2] , jointly prepared by the JRC, DG ENER and DG RTD. You can revisit the highlights of #SETPlan18 on the
conference website [3] .
A meeting of the SET Plan Steering Group (SG) addressed the challenges of developing partnerships between public and private actors to accelerate the EU’s energy transition. Discussion focused on 1) the future of the Joint Action Working Group under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme; 2) indicators for tracking progress on executing IPs; 3) interaction between the SET Plan SG, European Energy Research Alliance, European Technology & Innovation Platforms and other relevant stakeholder structures; and 4) the research, innovation and competitiveness dimension in
Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union [4].
One of the co-chairs of the Temporary Working Group on Action 10 for ‘
Maintaining a high level of safety of nuclear reactors and associated fuel cycles during operation and decommissioning, while improving their efficiency’, presented its Implementation Plan. Only interested SET Plan countries
[8] will participate, on a voluntary basis, in the activities presented
[9].
At the SET Plan SG meeting in April the chairs of four Implementation bodies reported on their status and governance structures. Commission represented by SETIS presented its views on the most suitable methodology to monitor the progress towards the Implementation of the SET Plan.
Two SET Plan Conferences will be organised this year.
The first, in Bucharest [10] on 12-14 June, will focus on regional and local issues. The second will take place in Helsinki on 14-15 November, and will focus on the industry sector. SG meetings will occur under each Presidency of the Council of the EU.
[4] EC communication (2016) 759: Proposal for a Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union
[7] EC Communication (2018) 773: A Clean Planet for all – A European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy
[8] Formal notification of endorsement of Implementation Plan received from: BE, CH, CZ, ES, FI, FR, IT, NL, RO, SI, SK, PL & UK.
[9] Fission-related R&I actions are expected to be supported primarily through the national programmes of interested countries and by industry. Financial support (if any) via the Euratom Research and Training Programme will continue to be restricted to research addressing safety, radioactive waste/spent fuel management, radiation protection and education and training, in accordance with the underlying legal framework Council Regulation (EURATOM)
