The European Commission authorised, on Thursday 13 April, a €1.4 billion Dutch scheme to support energy-intensive small and medium-sized enterprises (‘SMEs’) facing increased energy costs in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The scheme has been authorised under the State aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, adopted by the Commission on 9 March 2023.
The aid will take the form of limited amounts of aid in the form of direct grants. The aim is to cover part of the increased costs of natural gas and electricity and to mitigate their impact on companies currently unable to cope with them.
The scheme will be open to SMEs in all sectors active in the Netherlands whose purchases of natural gas and electricity represent at least 7% of their annual turnover by 2022. Credit or other financial institutions are excluded from the scheme. Each potential beneficiary will be entitled to an amount of aid covering 50% of the eligible costs, up to a maximum of €160 000. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)