On Monday 28 November, the European Commission announced that it had given its green light to the Czech aid regime in favour of all types of installation producing energy from renewable sources built in the country between early 2006 and the end of 2012. The regime, which was notified in December 2014, is funded by a surcharge on electricity consumers, together with contributions from the State budget.
In order to remedy potential discrimination that green electricity from abroad may have faced in the past due to the financing of the aid regime, the Czech Republic has undertaken to invest around €20 million in interconnection projects. This engagement corresponds to the total amount of the surcharge raised on estimated imports of green energy to the Czech Republic over the period 2006-2015. Problems in this area were resolved in 2016, when the member state made changes to its financing system to ensure that imported green electricity is no longer subjected to any discrimination.
The Commission concluded that in line with EU objectives, the measure helps the Czech Republic to achieve its 2020 renewable energy targets. The review mechanism and interconnector investments ensure that potential distortions of competition brought about by public financing are limited. (Original version in French by Élodie Lamer)