Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
148. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the EXEED scheme administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland is consistent with EU state aid rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10939/22]
View answerThe EXEED (Excellence in Energy Efficient Design) Program is notified to the EU Commission under State Aid ‘General Block Exemption Regulation’ (GBER) EU regulation 651/2104. The period of notification is 01/01/2021 – 31/12/2023. State Aid ‘General Block Exemption Regulation’ (GBER) EU regulation 651/2104 declares specific categories of State Aid and how these categories must fulfil certain conditions. Aid fulfilling these conditions is exempted from the requirement of prior EU Commission approval.
The financial supports paid under EXEED are in compliance with State Aid rules, meaning:
- they are not in excess of the limitations set out in Article 38 (covering investment in energy efficiency measures) and Article 49 (covering aid for environmental studies) of the General Block Exemption Regulation;
- certain aspects such as counterfactual investment costs and incentive effect are evaluated as part of the application for financial support.
The criteria for successful eligible projects approved by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for the EXEED program comply with, and benefit from, the General Block Exemption Regulation.
