
The growing interest in renewable energy concepts is accompanied by a large number of projects developing new technologies and carrying out research in the area of marine energy. As regards the environmental requirements of offshore energy devices, the different aspects concerning environmental protection seemed to be well covered by the different EU directives. A number of guidelines for the construction of offshore devices, especially for offshore wind energy plants, exist, mainly for oil and gas. The requirements for the H2OCEAN platform with regard to e.g. mooring, safety or construction the relevant information might in a broader sense be derived from the construction of oil and gas platforms. Regarding the concrete construction a number of different design codes exist, the guidelines from the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) should be mentioned. With regard to the national rules and regulations a large number of different regulations and laws establish the permit, licensing, construction and operation of marine energy devices. This will be done not only on a national basis but for certain aspects as well on a regional basis. This implies that the consenting procedures are divided between several bodies which could slow or delay the whole processes.