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While preparing such plans, Member States shall consult the relevant infrastructure system operators.

2. By way of derogation from Article 2(1) and Article 4(2) of and Annex I, point 20, and Annex II, point (3)(b), to Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (), and by way of derogation from Article 6(3) of Directive 92/43/EEC, Member States may, under justified circumstances, including where needed to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy in order to achieve the climate and renewable energy targets, exempt grid and storage projects which are necessary to integrate renewable energy into the electricity system from the environmental impact assessment pursuant to Article 2(1) of Directive 2011/92/EU, from an assessment of their implications for Natura 2000 sites pursuant to Article 6(3) of Directive 92/43/EEC and from the assessment of their implications on species protection pursuant to Article 12(1) of Directive 92/43/EEC and to Article 5 of Directive 2009/147/EC, provided that the grid or storage project is located in a dedicated infrastructure area designated in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article and that it complies with the rules established, including on proportionate mitigation measures to be adopted, in accordance with paragraph 1, point (e), of this Article. Member States may also grant such exemptions in relation to infrastructure areas designated before 20 November 2023 if they were subject to an environmental assessment pursuant to Directive 2001/42/EC. Such derogations shall not apply to projects that are likely to have significant effects on the environment in another Member State or where a Member State likely to be significantly affected so requests, as provided for in Article 7 of Directive 2011/92/EU.

3. Where a Member State exempts grid and storage projects pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Article from the assessments referred to in that paragraph, the competent authorities of that Member State shall carry out a screening process of projects that are located in dedicated infrastructure areas. Such a screening process shall be based on existing data from the environmental assessment pursuant to Directive 2001/42/EC. The competent authorities may request the applicant to provide additional available information. The screening process shall be finalised within 30 days. It shall aim to identify if any of such projects is highly likely to give rise to significant unforeseen adverse effects, in view of the environmental sensitivity of the geographical areas where they are located, that were not identified during the environmental assessment of the plans designating dedicated infrastructure areas carried out pursuant to Directive 2001/42/EC and, where relevant, to Directive 92/43/EEC.

4. Where the screening process identifies a project to be highly likely to give rise to significant unforeseen adverse effects as referred to in paragraph 3, the competent authority shall ensure, on the basis of existing data, that appropriate and proportionate mitigation measures are applied to address those effects. Where it is not possible to apply such mitigation measures, the competent authority shall ensure that the operator adopts appropriate compensatory measures to address those effects, which, if other proportionate compensatory measures are not available, may take the form of a monetary compensation for species protection programmes, in order to ensure or improve the conservation status of the species affected.

Areas for grid and storage infrastructure necessary to integrate renewable energy into the electricity system

1. Member States may adopt one or more plans to designate dedicated infrastructure areas for the development of grid and storage projects that are necessary to integrate renewable energy into the electricity system where such development is not expected to have a significant environmental impact, such an impact can be duly mitigated or, where not possible, compensated for. The aim of such areas shall be to support and complement the renewables acceleration areas. Those plans shall:

(a) for grid projects, avoid Natura 2000 sites and areas designated under national protection schemes for nature and biodiversity conservation, unless there are no proportionate alternatives for their deployment, taking into account the objectives of the site;

(b) for storage projects, exclude Natura 2000 sites and areas designated under national protection schemes;

(c) ensure synergies with the designation of renewables acceleration areas;

(d) be subject to an environmental assessment pursuant to Directive 2001/42/EC and, where applicable, to an assessment pursuant to Article 6(3) of Directive 92/43/EEC; and (e) establish appropriate and proportionate rules, including on proportionate mitigation measures to be adopted for the development of grid and storage projects in order to avoid adverse effects on the environment that may arise, or, where it is not possible to avoid such effects, to significantly reduce them.

5. Where the integration of renewable energy into the electricity system requires a project to reinforce the grid infrastructure in or outside dedicated infrastructure areas, and such a project is subject to a screening process carried out pursuant to paragraph 3 of this Article, to a determination whether the project requires an environmental impact assessment or to an environmental impact assessment pursuant to Article 4 of Directive 2011/92/EU, such a screening process, determination or environmental impact assessment shall be limited to the potential impact arising from the change or extension compared to the original grid infrastructure.