New Environmental and Energy State Aid Guidelines: a signal in the right direction to support Reindustrialisation in Europe

The revised EEAG adopted today by the European Commission sets a foundation for state aid in energy and environment for the period up to 2020. They are encouraging steps towards Europe reindustrialisation goal, even though they fall short of providing a full remedy for the competitiveness impacts of climate and energy policies on EU electro-intensive industries.

At this occasion, Oliver Bell, president of Eurometaux, said: “We welcome the positive attitude from the Commission towards lowering the cap of the minimum payment to finance renewable energy sources. Non- ferrous metals are globally priced, electro-intensive commodities, without the possibility of passing on additional costs. Even with the new guidelines, the industry’s global competitiveness will be at risk.”

Guy Thiran, DG of Eurometaux added: “Our industry continues to support ambitious climate and energy policies provided that they are accompanied by effective and long-term compensation measures for related electricity and CO2 cost increases, also post 2020, in the absence of a global-level playing field. This is a precondition for new investments in our industry, delivering innovative low carbon products and solutions, contributing towards the transitions to modern society.”

As a next step, Eurometaux is calling on the policy makers and the Commission to assure that the implementation of the new guidelines goes hand in hand with the 2030 Energy and Climate framework. “Only sound alignment between the EEAG, adequate compensation measures for high electricity cost at EU level and carbon leakage protection mechanisms in the 2030 Climate and Energy package as well as enabling conditions for long term energy supply contracts, can ensure sound transition towards a low carbon economy, by keeping primary industry, its industrial value chain and jobs in the EU,” Oliver Bell concluded.