Brussels, 20 February 2025
The European Commission has published a State aid brief on the use of the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (‘TCTF’). The Commission adopted the TCTF on 9 March 2023 to foster support measures in sectors which are key for the transition to a net-zero economy. The TCTF replaced the Temporary Crisis Framework (‘TCF’), adopted on 23 March 2022, to enable Member States to use the flexibility foreseen under State aid rules to support the economy in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The TCTF, in its current form, provides for the following types of aid: (i) measures accelerating the rollout of renewable energy; (ii) measures facilitating the decarbonisation of industrial processes: and (ii) measures to further accelerate investments in key sectors for the transition towards a net-zero economy. These so-called ‘transition measures’ are set to be in place until 31 December 2025.
The State aid brief published today shows that the TCF and the TCTF have enabled Member States to use the full flexibility foreseen under State aid rules to support businesses in need in a timely, targeted and proportionate way, while preserving the level playing field in the Single Market and maintaining horizontal conditions applicable to everyone. It also shows that already in the first semester of 2024, the majority of Member States for which ‘transition measures’ were approved had started implementing them.
Between March 2022 and end of June 2024, the Commission has taken over 500 decisions approving over 370 national measures notified by 27 Member States, for an overall budget of around €796 billion.
In order to have a better overview of the actual aid paid out, the Commission has launched surveys to seek information from Member States on the implementation of both crisis and transition measures. Based on data provided by the EU Member States, in the period between March 2022 and end of June 2024, of the around €796 billion in aid approved during that period, around €219 billion (around 27%) was actually granted to companies. The overall aid granted represents 0.52% of cumulative EU GDP on an annual basis.
When it comes to transition measures, between March 2023 and end of June 2024, the Commission adopted 37 decisions approving 35 national measures notified by 16 Member States for an overall budget of over €47 billion. Of the over €47 billion in aid approved during the relevant period, around €2.4 billion have been actually granted.
Source – EU Commission