The European Commission has approved under EU State aid rules a Belgian aid scheme supporting electro-intensive companies in Flanders (Belgium).
Under the scheme, electro-intensive users will benefit from a reduction in their contribution to a regional Energy Fund to support renewable energy and cogeneration. The contribution is capped at a certain percentage of the beneficiaries’ gross value added (GVA). The main aim of the measure is to avoid that electro-intensive companies, which bear significant costs for supporting the production of renewable energy and cogeneration, are put at a competitive disadvantage.
The Commission assessed the measure under EU State aid rules, in particular under the Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy 2014-2020. It found that the measure supports the production of electricity from renewable energy sources and high-efficiency cogeneration, in line with EU environmental objectives, without unduly distorting competition. On this basis, the Commission concluded that the Belgian scheme is in line with EU State aid rules.
More information will be available on the Commission's competition website in the public case register under the case number SA.52367.
- Publication date
- 16 September 2019
- Author
- Directorate-General for Energy
- Location
- Brussels
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