The European Commission has announced looser state aid rules to accelerate green industrial projects and offer energy price relief for heavy industries, aiming to keep Europe competitive amid U.S. and Chinese pressure.
Businesses in the European Union will have greater access to state support for green transitions under new rules unveiled by the European Commission on Wednesday. The updated framework, valid through December 2030, is a core element of the Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal, a strategy designed to revitalise European industry and ensure it remains competitive on the global stage.
The changes make it easier for governments to offer aid in the form of direct grants, tax credits, subsidised loans, or loan guarantees for projects focused on reducing carbon emissions. Support can reach up to €200 million ($232 million) or be structured according to a project’s funding gap or the outcome of a competitive bidding process.
Private investors, such as pension funds and insurers, will also find it easier to co-invest in green initiatives under the revised rules.
Vice-President of the Commission Teresa Ribera said the new rules not only streamline decarbonisation efforts but position public support as a "strategic investment" in Europe’s future.
“It’s a tool to drive climate ambition, strengthen Europe’s resilience, and ensure our industry remains globally competitive,” she said.
Eligible projects include those focused on rolling out renewable energy and low-carbon fuels, along with broader investment schemes and capacity mechanisms. Meanwhile, heavy industries like cement and chemical production may apply for temporary electricity price relief, but only if they also commit to decarbonisation investments.
However, not all industry voices are convinced. Eurometaux, a metals industry association, argued the changes fall short of simplifying the regulatory landscape. Its Director General James Watson warned that the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework does not fully deliver on the EU’s promises of prosperity and competitiveness.
“While we welcome the investment support for critical raw material production, it is crucial to ensure that all enabling conditions are in place to support a strong and sustainable metals sector in Europe,” Watson said.
The United States has begun discussions with the Cook Islands to survey and potentially develop seabed minerals in the archipelago’s vast exclusive ...
For the first time, President Donald Trump has publicly floated Vice President JD Vance as the potential standard-bearer of the Republican Party for t...
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected in Moscow on Wednesday for meetings with Russian leadership, a source familiar with the matter said on Tu...
The Great Barrier Reef has suffered its most significant coral decline in nearly four decades, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Aust...
At a UN Security Council meeting, the UN has warned that a wider Israeli military operation in Gaza could have catastrophic consequences and further e...
A senior EU official confirmed Tuesday that the bloc’s new methane regulation has emerged as a point of discussion in ongoing trade talks with the United States. However, the European Union remains firm in its stance, emphasizing that the regulation will not be revised.
The European Commission has said it does not view imposing network fees on major technology firms as a practical solution to the ongoing debate over funding the expansion of 5G and broadband infrastructure across the bloc.
The U.S. State Department has intensified its months-long campaign against the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), drawing sharp reactions from European officials just days before a crucial trade deadline between the two sides.
Meta has announced it will halt political, electoral, and social issue ads in the European Union from October due to the region's new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising regulation (TTPA).
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
Most peace talks fail. Some drag on for years. Others collapse in days. But even when they don’t succeed, they can save lives. From backchannel meetings to battlefield truces, here’s how peace talks actually work — and why making peace is often harder than making war.
The United States has begun discussions with the Cook Islands to survey and potentially develop seabed minerals in the archipelago’s vast exclusive economic zone, a step that could reshape strategic competition with China in the South Pacific.
For the first time, President Donald Trump has publicly floated Vice President JD Vance as the potential standard-bearer of the Republican Party for the 2028 election, suggesting he is “most likely” to carry the political torch forward.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected in Moscow on Wednesday for meetings with Russian leadership, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
At a UN Security Council meeting, the UN has warned that a wider Israeli military operation in Gaza could have catastrophic consequences and further endanger hostages.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment