Shaping multi-level energy and climate policy within the set plan framework

At the dawn of a new European Green Deal (EGD), it is necessary to reconsider the plans and actions that have characterized the European energy policies during recent decades by tuning and updating the priorities and targets. The present work moves from the systematic review of the documents, laws, and scientific studies concerning energy and climate initiatives to the analysis of the role of the Strategic Energy and Technology Plan (SET Plan) in the energy transition. Thus, the principal research question addresses the influence of the SET Plan on multi-level energy policies. To answer this, firstly, the juridical framework in which the SET Plan was instituted is provided; secondly, its correlation to the upcoming EDG is described and the targets identified by each Implementation Working Group (IWG) are discussed. Such a dissertation is followed by the investigation of the activities at various levels from the IWG on Renewable Fuels and Bioenergy. The study has confirmed that the SET Plan contributed to shaping the energy and climate policy at European, national, and regional levels by implementing synergies among different levels of governance, different sectors, and various stakeholders (both public and private). Furthermore, it eased the sharing of data on flagship projects by periodically monitoring the achieved results.