Pöördumise edastamine

Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR COMPETITION The Director-General

Brussels, 22 January 2025 COMP.B.3/AH/IGR/COMP(2025)1427761

PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, AUSTRIA PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, BELGIUM

PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, BULGARIA PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, CROATIA PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, CYPRUS

PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, CZECH REPUBLIC PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, DENMARK

PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, ESTONIAN REPUBLIC PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, FINLAND PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, FRANCE

PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, GERMANY PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, GREECE

PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, IRELAND

PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, ITALY PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, LATVIAN REPUBLIC

PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, LUXEMBOURG

PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, MALTA PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, THE NETHERLANDS

PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, POLAND PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, PORTUGAL PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, ROMANIA

PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, SPAIN PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, SLOVAK REPUBLIC

PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, SLOVENIAN REPUBLIC PERMANENT REPRESENTATION, SWEDEN

Subject: HT.100398 – Survey concerning the Guidelines on certain State aid measures in the context of the system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading post-2021

In September 2020, the European Commission adopted the State aid Guidelines on certain State aid measures in the context of the system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading post-2021 (the ‘Guidelines’), supplemented in 2021 (1). The Guidelines enable Member States to compensate companies in at-risk sectors for part of the higher electricity prices resulting from the carbon price signals created by the EU ETS (so-called ‘indirect emission costs’). They aim at reducing the risk of carbon leakage, while avoiding overcompensation of companies that would risk running counter to the price signals created by the EU ETS to promote a cost-effective decarbonisation of the economy and create undue distortions of competition in the Single Market. The Guidelines apply from 1

(1) OJ C 317, 25.9.2020, p. 5 and OJ C 528, 30.12.2021, p. 1.

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January 2021 until 31 December 2030 and foresee targeted updates of certain technical parameters in 2025.

The Political Guidelines for the new Commission announce the Clean Industrial Deal for competitive industries and quality jobs in the first 100 days of the mandate. The Clean Industrial Deal as presented in the Political Guidelines encompasses inter alia the objectives to bring down energy bills for companies and to implement the existing legal framework for 2030 in the simplest, fairest, and most cost-efficient way. Against this background, DG COMP seeks the views of Member States on a potential update of the Guidelines.

Please submit your reply to the questions in the Annex via e-mail to COMP-B2- [email protected], with [email protected] in copy, mentioning in the subject line ‘HT.100398 – Reply to survey’. The deadline to submit replies to this survey is 5 February 2025.

We would like to thank you for your feedback, and we look forward to a continuing cooperation with you on this matter. Member States will be consulted on a potential draft proposal concerning amendments of the Guidelines at a later stage.

Yours sincerely,

e-signed

Olivier GUERSENT

Enclosure: Survey questions

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Annex – Survey questions

Please provide your position, assessment and any further relevant input or considerations (calculations as Excel file, studies, etc.) in response to the following questions:

1. As regards the electricity consumption efficiency benchmarks:

a. The benchmarks were set taking into account the input from a dedicated study. To your knowledge, have there been significant technological developments in the past few years that would substantiate a revision of the benchmarks? (If yes, please provide details and evidence.)

b. Do you consider that for a given technological process (please refer to the specific NACE/PRODCOM code) a certain benchmark would benefit from a targeted adjustment or clarification? (If yes, please provide details and evidence.)

2. As regards geographic areas, do you consider that electricity price convergence has significantly changed between or within the geographic areas defined in the Guidelines? (If yes, please provide details and evidence.)

3. As regards CO2 emission factors, do you consider that an update of the CO2 emission factors for any of the geographic areas listed in Annex III of the Guidelines would be warranted at this stage? (If yes, please provide details and evidence.)

4. As regards the list of eligible sectors, do you consider that the risk of carbon leakage compared to the situation underpinning the 2020 impact assessment has significantly changed for sectors not eligible? (If yes, please provide details based on which developments and substantiate them with data or indicators at EU and sector-specific level.)

5. As regards the interplay between the Guidelines and the EU ETS, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/873 sets the rules for free allocation of CO2 allowances between 2026 and 2030 and, inter alia, extends the free allocation methodology to indirect emissions for certain products, the so-called fuel exchangeability (e.g. steel production in electric arc furnaces or hydrogen production). Please comment on how in your view overcompensation can be best avoided when the same product is eligible product under the Guidelines for indirect cost compensation.

Suur-Ameerika 1 / 10122 Tallinn / 611 3558 / [email protected] / www.rahandusministeerium.ee

registrikood 70000272

Kristi Klaas

Kliimaministeerium

[email protected]

Komisjoni küsimused seoses HKS

riigiabi suunistega

Austatud proua Klaas

Edastame Teile Euroopa Komisjoni 22.01.2025 kirja (lisatud) seoses komisjoni suunistega,

mis käsitlevad teatavaid riigiabi meetmeid kasvuhoonegaaside saastekvootidega kauplemise

süsteemis pärast 2021. aastat (edaspidi HKS suunised). HKS suunised lubavad liikmesriikidel

hüvitada teatud sektorite ettevõtetele elektrihinna suurenemise, mis tuleneb ELi heitkogustega

kauplemise süsteemiga seotud kasvuhoonegaaside heitkoguste kuludest (nn kaudsed

heitkoguste kulud). HKS suunised kehtivad 31. detsembrini 2030. Eesti ei ole nimetatud

suuniste alusel riigiabi andnud.

Suuniste punkti 67 kohaselt kohandab komisjon suuniseid 2025. aastal, et ajakohastada

elektritarbimise tõhususe võrdlusaluseid, geograafilisi piirkondi ja CO2-heite koefitsiente.

2025. aastal hindab komisjon ka seda, kas on ilmnenud lisaandmeid, mis võimaldaksid

parandada suuniste III lisas kirjeldatud CO2-heite koefitsientide arvutamise metoodikat.

Lisaks tuleneb HKS suuniste ülevaatamise vajadus uue Euroopa Komisjoni poliitilistest

suunistest.

Komisjoni kirja lisas on küsimustik, millele liikmesriikidel palutakse vastata. Palume

Kliimaministeeriumil vastata küsimustikule ja saata vastused Rahandusministeeriumile

31. jaanuariks. Rahandusministeerium edastab vastused Euroopa Komisjonile.

Lugupidamisega

(allkirjastatud digitaalselt)

Kaur Kajak

halduspoliitika asekantsler

Lisa(d):

Komisjoni kiri 22.01.25

Meie 23.01.2025 nr 12.1-1/383-1

2

Maris Kalda 5885 1434

[email protected]