EnerDigit - A joint programming initiative to establish transnational innovation eco-systems for the designing, implementing and testing of interoperable technical and business services for energy systems, unleashing the potential of digital transformation for the energy transition This ERA-Co-fund Action aims to enhance the transnational collaboration in digital transformation of energy systems and networks. It helps unleashing the potential of digitalisation for the energy transition towards a de-carbonised, secure and resilient European energy system. The initiative coordinates relevant RDD programmes in the involved European and associated countries and regions, implementing at least two joint calls for RDD proposals. It contributes to the implementation of the EU SET-Plan, particularly Actions 3 and 4. Beyond the funding of transnational RDD projects, it accelerates the development of transnational innovation ecosystems by initiating a Transnational Validation Ecosystem with existing and upcoming living labs, allowing start-ups and innovative companies to test their solutions in different frameworks. It also promotes the development of interoperable solutions, enabling wider impact and use of applications, systems and services, by piloting a European Collaboration Platform for Interoperability Testing, providing an open, independent development and test environment for developers, manufacturers and suppliers of components and solutions for smart energy systems. A highly ambitious consortium establishes an Impact Network with Associated Partners, acting as intermediaries towards regional and local stakeholders, start-up supporters and incubators as well as to follow-up financers and investors in order to enhance need driven technology policy. This ERA-Net co-fund action is exploiting on sustainable coordination structures already established by the Joint Programming Platform Smart Energy Systems (JPP SES) and will be integrated there as a new "Focus Initiative".

In collaboration with the European Commission and the European Green Vehicles Initiative Association, European countries and regions will set-up an ERA-NET Cofund to further promote electric mobility in Europe. Electric Mobility Europe builds on the experiences, networks and results of Electromobility+ and is designed to take transnational e-mobility research and policy exchange to the next level. With a two-track approach, the initiative will link research and policy practice in support of electric mobility at the European level. The first of two pillars of Electric Mobility Europe will fund innovation projects focussing on the application and demonstration of e-mobility with the objective of advancing the mainstreaming of the electrification of mobility in Europe. The initiative will bring together about 30 million EUR for supporting applied innovation projects, including up to 10 million EUR of co-funding provided by the European Commission under Horizon 2020. In 2016, the initiative will issue a call for project proposals addressing the key areas of electric mobility: 1. System integration (transport, (sub)urban areas) 2. Integration of urban freight and city logistics in the e-mobility 3. Smart Mobility concepts and ICT applications 4. Public transport 5. Consumer behaviour and societal trends In addition to funding innovation and demonstration projects, the ERA-NET Cofund Electric Mobility Europe will establish a second pillar of activity. The network will provide a platform for cooperation and exchange of information and experiences among participating countries and regions. In this context, know-how will be shared on setting conducive conditions for the development of electric mobility in Europe (e.g. on charging infrastructure). The network will support this by facilitating suitable means of cooperation such as workshops or seminars in order to exchange or coordinate required actions, in attunement with the European Green Vehicle Initiative Association.

Smart Cities and Communities have been identified as key to achieving the energy efficiency targets for 2020 and 2050. The main objective of this ERA-NET is to stimulate successful practice and facilitate replicability within Smart Cities and Communities projects and also across projects in order to achieve a technological shift in the current energy system and provide smart and integrated solutions for technology, government and society. ERA-NET Smart Cities and Communities aims to create solutions in the form of projects, which demonstrate or at least constitute a decisive step towards implementations that (1) help cities deal with a long uncertain time horizon, (2) monitor ongoing experiences and implement change in the project when necessary, and (3) avoid pitfalls already encountered by others and facilitate collective learning of stakeholders embedded within a physical and social context. Additional activities within the planned ERA-NET are: (A) to work towards a joint call with China and (B) to align national R&D funding with Structural Funds. (A): A structured and systematic approach towards a joint call with China on smart city research will be developed making highest use of existing relations, activities and experience of European Funding Agencies with Chinese partners in order to develop a joint call with China. Beneficiaries of this call (mainly research organisations and companies) would be given a good starting position for further research and development projects. (B) The realisation of smart cities measures requires large investment volumes. Thus, the combination and clustering of different financing instruments is necessary. In line with the new "smart specialization" strategy of the EC, the proposed additional activities should encourage and enable Member States, regions and their Managing Authorities to align their national R&D funding schemes with available Structural Funds (in particular ERDF, but also ESF resources).

This proposal proposes a substantial project of a pan-EU market surveillance action to achieve impacts in line with the aims and objectives of the Horizon 2020 ― Work Programme 2018-2020 Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy. The project, if approved, will be the most comprehensive and complex product market surveillance exercise ever undertaken in the EU’s energy efficiency and Ecodesign sector, building on and reinforcing the successes and momentum of the predecessor programmes: Energy Efficiency Compliant Products (ECOPLIANT, EEPLIANT2014 and EEPLIANT2), Market Surveillance Project for TYRES 2015 (MSTyr15). The proposed activities are structured around the needs and priorities identified by the memberships of the Energy Labelling and Eco-design ADCOs. These, without surprise, closely match the requirements set in the Call with ref. no. H2020-IBA-SC3-energy-2018, Exchange of information and best practices, development of common methods, protocols, checklists or IT tools (e.g. web crawlers), execution of joint surveillance activities, strengthening the collaboration with customs authorities, communication, establishment of centres of excellence for product testing, support the development of the Energy Labelling products registration database, input into standardisation, addressing challenging issues like defeat devices, software updates, plausibility testing, support for international alignment of test standards are all covered. The methodology to be used for addressing those requirements will include the delivery of a programme structure consisting of a matrix of activities both horizontal (method development and capacity improvement) and vertical (product inspection and testing). This will result in building further expertise, developing and adopting common best practices and protocols by the Member State Authorities (MSAs). Altogether, Energy Efficiency Compliant Products 3 (EEPLIANT3) is expected to substantially enhance the impacts and the overall effectiveness and efficiency of market surveillance across the European Union (EU). The core objective of this proposal is to continue the transformation of the effectiveness and efficiency of the market surveillance work undertaken across the European Union (EU) in the field of the Energy Labelling Regulation 2017/1369 and the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125. This will be achieved through the coordination of the monitoring, verification and enforcement activities of 24 MSAs and 5 other organisations across the Single Market plus Turkey and through further enhancing their knowledge, skills and experience of doing this type of work. Key to this effort will be the development of strategic IT tools that overlap with every WP in the project and that aim to go beyond business as usual. These tools will help MSAs achieve greater results with the same level of resources, a necessity in light of the doubling of Ecodesign and energy labelling requirements over the past six years without equivalent increases in financing. Furthermore, the project will seek to enhance the visibility and outreach of market surveillance activities by engaging with key stakeholders ― the ADCOs, the EU trade associations of the suppliers of the products to be inspected and consumer organisations. As a result, stakeholders will continue to build confidence in the increasing effectiveness of market surveillance in the EU/EEA. The project directly addresses all the requirements identified in the Call. The Scope calls for strengthening the enforcement of these two pieces of legislation and specifically asks for supporting the monitoring, verification and enforcement activities of MSAs. The main activity described in this proposal is the market surveillance of specific product sectors and the (further) development of tools – including innovative IT-tools – and methodologies in support of the MSAs. This work is to be undertaken by the responsible enforcement authorities in the Member States (MS) in liaison