State aid perspectives on the "coal-to-clean transition" in Europe

The "Coal-to-Clean Transition" is at the heart of European power sector decarbonisation. Successful Coal-to-Clean transition strategies are underpinned by long-term political commitment to a just and fair transition, by robust administrative planning as well as supportive measures. Some of the measures in Coal-to-Clean transition strategies may qualify as State aid under EU law and thus require prior approval by the European Commission to be permitted. For the “Coal-to-Clean Transition” this may involve compensation payments for the closure of coal facilities, interventions to ensure security of electricity supply, support payments for the rapid scaling of renewable power or efforts to achieving a fair and just transition in regions hitherto dependent on coal mining or coal use.

This high-level conference provided space for dialogue and exchange between EU decision-makers, stakeholders and experts. It was part of a research and dialogue project jointly conducted by Agora Energiewende and ClientEarth that appraises the role of EU State aid law and decisions in the decarbonisation of Europe.

SLIDES
The slides used during the event can be downloaded below.

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The project is financed by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). EUKI is a project financing instrument by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).