Trinomics, as lead partner, in collaboration with DNV GL, Enerdata, Nuclear Research and Consultancy (NRG) and Technopolis Group has been selected by the Directorate-General for Energy in the European Commission as one of the operators for a major Framework Agreement for conducting Impact Assessments and Evaluation (ex-ante, intermediate and ex-post) in the field of Energy.
An impact assessment (IA) is “an aid to political decision-making, not a substitute for it”, and many other factors influence the decision-making. However, the importance of a sound and independent IA should not be underestimated. It adds credibility to proposals, evaluates the proposed interventions in a wider context, and can help to overcome “tunnel-vision”. Independent advice and analysis is also necessary to help distinguish between opinion and facts, especially with respect to stakeholder consultation. The process of adopting legislative proposals can give rise to involved and protracted debates, which could in some cases be influenced by “emotional arguments”. An example of such a debate is the review of the EU Energy Legal Package. In these sensitive cases, an unbiased, sound and scientifically-correct IA is needed in order to distinguish between “strong” and “emotional” arguments.
Similarly, evaluations need to be independent and unbiased. Otherwise, the purpose of providing intervention accountability as well as the intention to develop lessons learned will be obsolete. Accountability can only be guaranteed when the evaluator carries out an independent intermediate or ex-post evaluation. Lessons learned will only be valuable input for future projects if they are based on a reliable, unbiased review.
The Consortium receives complementary subcontracting services of: Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH (LBST), Transport & Mobility Leuven NV (TML), University College London (UCL), ISR-University of Coimbra (ISR-UC), Spark Legal Network and Consultancy Ltd, and SEVEn – Energy Efficiency Center.
If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to contact Jeroen van der Laan.
