On Tuesday 20 December, the European Commission approved a €1.1 billion Polish support package to help energy-intensive companies particularly affected by the effects of the war in Ukraine.
The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Crisis Framework, which was adopted by the Commission on 23 March 2022 and amended on 20 July 2022 and on 28 October 2022.
The aid will take the form of direct grants. The measure will be open to small and medium-sized enterprises and large enterprises that can be considered energy-intensive and are active in the particularly affected sectors and sub-sectors listed in Annex 1 of the Temporary Crisis Framework. Credit and financial institutions will be excluded from the measure.
Beneficiaries incurring operating losses may receive additional aid, subject to conditions: those who have experienced a reduction in EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) of at least 40% in the period between 1 January or 1 July and 31 December 2022, compared with the corresponding period in 2021 (or negative EBITDA in the period between 1 January or 1 July and 31 December 2022). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)