Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019
973. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if exemptions for EU state aid rules exist for climate action-related public spending in the form of either capital spending or grant aid to particular firms or organisations; and if so, the exemptions in this regard. [31593/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) allows Member States to implement a wide range of public support measures without prior notification to the Commission, provided that they are designed within the parameters set out in the GBER. These schemes can apply to all sectors and undertakings, irrespective of the size of the undertaking, throughout Ireland.
Aid can be granted to undertakings for the below categories of Environmental Aid and subject to the conditions laid out in the relevant Articles of the GBER:
- Going beyond Union standards in the absence of Union standards (Article 36)
- Early adaption to future Union standards (Article 37)
- Energy efficiency measures (Article 38)
- Energy efficiency projects in buildings (Article 39)
- High efficiency cogeneration (Article 40)
- The promotion of energy from renewable sources (Article 41)
- The promotion of electricity from renewable sources (Article 42)
- The promotion of energy from renewable sources in smalls scale installations (Article 43)
- Reductions in environmental taxes under Directive 2003/96/EC (Article 44)
- Remediation of contaminated sites (Article 45)
- Energy efficient district heating and cooling (Article 46)
- Investment aid for waste recycling and re-utilisation (Article 47)
- Energy infrastructure (Article 48)
- Environmental studies (Article 49)
If an environmental protection measure does not fit within the GBER, a scheme may still be developed but it must be notified to the Commission for approval under the Environmental Aid Guidelines which can be a complex and lengthy process.
