Publications » Position papers » Compensation of indirect carbon costs in the post 2020 EU ETS
Compensation of indirect carbon costs in the post 2020 EU ETS
Downloads and links
Recent updates
Several elements of the draft text (e.g. state aid intensity limited at 75%, exclusion of sectors in the steel value chain such as industrial gases, mining of iron ores and tubes) undermine significantly the effectiveness of the provisions to prevent the risk of carbon leakage because they result in a very low level of compensation (up to less than 50% of the actual indirect costs).
If the default aid intensity is not increased to 100% of the benchmark, the possibility for member states to grant compensation beyond 75% is an important step to reduce indirect costs to eligible sectors.
The additional compensation should be set so that indirect costs are capped at 0.5% of the GVA and should be open to all eligible sectors and not restricted only to some of them. Furthermore, it should be accessible to both the electric arc furnace (EAF), which uses large amount of electricity
to melt and recycle scrap, and the integrated route, which consumes electricity produced from the combustion of recovered waste gases generated unavoidably by the steel making process.
Similarly to the allocation of free allowances to the heat consumer under the rules on free allocation for the direct emissions, the consumption of industrial gases (e.g. oxygen, hydrogen, etc.) should also be considered as eligible for financial compensation when it occurs in a sector that is exposed to indirect carbon leakage such as steel and state aid should be granted to the exposed sector.
Sectors (mining of iron ores and seamless pipes) belonging to the steel value chain need to remain eligible for compensation since they are already recognised at risk of carbon leakage in phase 3 and they contribute to the carbon leakage exposure of the steel industry.
The proposal of splitting existing regions contradicts the political objective of linking more the national energy markets. Furthermore, the overly strict methodology for defining regional areas (1% price divergence in significant number of hours per year) does not capture the reality of energy
markets where the emission pass through factor is influenced by neighbouring member states due to interconnections. Hence, the existing regional areas should be maintained.
➢ Compensation should not be made conditional because it does not distort incentives for energy efficiency investments, since it is based already on very strict benchmarks. If now state aid is made conditional to additional measures to be taken by the company, de facto it is not anymore a (partial)
reimbursement of incurred costs as it requires additional costs to the company.
The fall-back benchmark (80% of reference electricity consumption) should not be reduced further, since it entails already a major reduction of aid.
➢ The steel industry (NACE code 2410) is recognised as eligible for indirect costs compensation in the draft Guidelines but the consultants’ study classifies the sector only at medium risk. Even though there is no different treatment, we are providing evidence which indicates that steel is at very high risk of carbon leakage.
Download this publication or visit associated links
Brussels, 10 September 2024 – The Draghi Report thoroughly identifies the bottlenecks to both the EU industry's decarbonisation and competitiveness. The proposed recommendations for energy-intensive industries, including on energy, trade, carbon leakage, financing and lead markets, should be integrated into the upcoming Clean Industrial Deal and implemented with concrete measures as a matter of urgency. Alignment across different policies is crucial, and should be accompanied by sector-specific initiatives to enable the transition of each industry including steel, asks the European Steel Association.
Brussels, 05 September 2024 – The latest developments in the steel sector and across critical value chains are worrying signs of a steady deterioration, endangering the survival and the transition of steelmakers and their key manufacturing customers in Europe, such as automotive. A Clean Industrial Deal including swift and radical measures in EU industrial, energy and trade policies, is the last chance to ensure Europe’s prosperity and shield European industry from cheap imports driven by third countries’ unfair trade practices, overcapacity and lower climate ambition, urges the European Steel Association.
Brussels, 25 July 2024 – Major indicators in the European steel market show a steeper-than-expected downward trend, further impacting the outlook for this year and the next. Poor demand conditions, driven by ongoing factors such as high energy prices, persistent inflation, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, are exacerbated by a manufacturing crisis affecting the largest steel-using sectors, including construction and automotive. According to EUROFER’s latest Economic and Steel Market Outlook, apparent steel consumption is further deteriorating. After a slump (-3.1%) in the first quarter of 2024, its rebound for the full year has been revised downwards (to +1.4% from +3.2%), as well as for 2025 (+4.1% from +5.6%). Similarly, output in steel-using sectors, after a decline in the first quarter (-1.9%), is projected to experience a deeper-than-expected recession (-1.6% from -1%). A recovery is anticipated only in 2025 (+2.3%). Steel imports continue to show historically high shares (27%).