20.3.2014 Official Journal of the European Union L 84/61 REGULATION (EU) No 256/2014 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 26 February 2014 concerning the notification to the Commission of investment projects in energy infrastructure within the European Union, replacing Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 617/2010 and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 736/96 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 194 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), After consulting the Committee of the Regions, Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (3), Whereas: (1)  Obtaining an overall picture of the development of investment in energy infrastructure in the Union is essential for the development of the Union’s energy policy and for the Commission to perform its tasks in the field of energy. The availability of regular and up-to- date data and information should enable the Commission to make the necessary comparisons and evaluations and to propose relevant measures based on appropriate figures and analysis, in particular concerning the future balance between energy supply and demand. (2)  The energy landscape within and outside the Union has changed significantly in recent years and makes investment in energy infrastructure a crucial issue for securing the Union’s energy supply, for the functioning of the internal market and for the transition towards a low-carbon energy system which the Union has begun. (3)  The new energy context requires significant investment in all kinds of infrastructure in all energy sectors as well as the development of new types of infrastructure and () OJ C 271, 19.9.2013, p. 153. (3) Position of the European Parliament of 4 February 2014 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 20 February 2014. new technologies to be taken up by the market. The liberalisation of the energy sector and the further inte- gration of the internal market give a more prominent role to economic operators for investment. At the same time, new policy requirements such as targets affecting the fuel mix will alter Member States’ policies towards new and/or modernised energy infrastructure. In this context, greater attention should be paid to investment in energy infrastructure in the Union, in particular with a view to anticipating problems, promoting best practices and establishing greater trans- parency on the future development of the Union’s energy system. The Commission and in particular its Market Observatory for Energy should therefore have at its disposal accurate data and information on investment projects, including decommissioning, in the most significant components of the Union’s energy system. Data and information regarding foreseeable devel- opments in production, transmission and storage capacities and projects in the various energy sectors are of interest to the Union and are important to future investment. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the Commission is notified of investment projects on which construction or decommissioning work has started or on which a final investment decision has been taken. Pursuant to Articles 41 and 42 of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom Treaty), undertakings are under an obligation to notify their investment projects. It is necessary to supplement such information with, in particular, a regular reporting on the implementation of investment projects. Such additional reporting is without prejudice to Articles 41 to 44 of the Euratom Treaty. However, imposing a double burden on undertakings should be avoided wherever possible. In order for the Commission to have a consistent view of the future developments of the Union’s energy system as a whole, a harmonised reporting framework for investment projects based on updated categories of official data and information to be transmitted by the Member States is necessary.