The European Commission announced, on Friday 8 March, that it had authorised, under the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, an Italian scheme worth €1.1 billion to support investment in the production of the equipment needed to promote the transition to a so-called net-zero economy. This measure will be supported in part by the ‘Recovery and Resilience Facility’, the main instrument of the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan.
The measure will be open to companies that produce equipment needed for the energy transition (batteries, solar panels, heat pumps, etc.) as well as essential components or critical raw materials needed in the production of this equipment.
The maximum amount of aid per beneficiary will be €150 million, to be paid in the form of direct subsidies by 31 December 2025 at the latest.
However, beneficiaries located in ‘c zones’, regions eligible for aid under Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, will be eligible for aid of up to €200 million. Beneficiary companies located in ‘a zones’, regions eligible for aid under Article 107(3)(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, will be eligible for aid of up to €350 million. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)