State aid: Commission further consults Member States on prolongation and adjustment of Temporary Crisis Framework

31 Oct 2022 12:01 PM

The European Commission is further consulting Member States on a prolongation and adjustment of the State aid Temporary Crisis Framework to support the economy in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine, adopted by the Commission on 23 March 2022 and first amended on 20 July 2022. This follows a first consultation of Member States launched on 5 October 2022.

In view of the prolonged aggression of Russia against Ukraine and of its direct and indirect effects on the economy and on the energy situation, the Commission already consulted Member States, among others, on the possible prolongation of the Temporary Crisis Framework and the addition of new tools aimed at supporting electricity demand reduction.

Taking into account feedback already received from Member States and in light of the the recent Regulation on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices (‘Regulation (EU) 2022/1854') and the Commission's proposal on a new emergency regulation, the Commission is now further consulting Member States, in particular on possible amendments relating to:

• A targeted adjustment to broaden the possibility for Member State to provide public guarantees to energy companies in order to cover the financial collaterals for their trading activities in view of current market prices and volatility; and
• Additional adjustments to further allow Member States to provide support to companies affected by high energy prices. The main objective of the proposal is to further increase flexibility for a faster and more effective support for companies that are faced with significant increases of their energy costs while protecting the level playing field in the Single Market.

The proposed amendments complement Regulation (EU) 2022/1854. They aim at ensuring that the Temporary Crisis Framework continues to enable Member States to provide necessary and proportionate support to the economy while ensuring a level playing field.

The Commission intends to adopt the revised Temporary Crisis Framework by the end of October, taking into account the feedback received from the Member States and, where relevant, elements of the Commission's proposal on a new emergency regulation to address high gas prices in the EU and ensure security of supply this winter.

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