Article 16f
Overriding public interest
By 21 February 2024, until climate neutrality is achieved, Member States shall ensure that, in the permit-granting procedure, the planning, construction and operation of renewable energy plants, the connection of such plants to the grid, the related grid itself, and storage assets are presumed as being in the overriding public interest and serving public health and safety when balancing legal interests in individual cases for the purposes of Article 6(4) and Article 16(1), point (c), of Directive 92/43/EEC, Article 4(7) of Directive 2000/60/EC and Article 9(1), point (a), of Directive 2009/147/EC. Member States may, in duly justified and specific circumstances, restrict the application of this Article to certain parts of their territory, to certain types of technology or to projects with certain technical characteristics in accordance with the priorities set out in their integrated national energy and climate plans submitted pursuant to Articles 3 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999. Member States shall inform the Commission of such restrictions, together with the reasons therefor.