PROJECT BACKGROUND
The CO₂ pricing under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) promotes investments in climate-friendly technologies but also leads to higher electricity prices, resulting in increased production costs and competitive disadvantages for EU industries. Energy-intensive sectors such as steel and chemicals risk “carbon leakage” as they may relocate production to regions with less stringent regulations. Article 10a, paragraph 6 of Directive 2003/87/EC stipulates that EU member states may provide financial support to particularly vulnerable sectors in compliance with European state aid rules. In 2023, an evaluation plan for this measure was developed by Frontier Economics and ETR on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). The second interim report for the European Commission includes a mid-term evaluation of electricity price compensation for the period 2021-2024/2025 in accordance with the requirements of the EU Commission and the German Federal Budget Code (BHO).
TASKS
As a subcontractor, Arepo is taking the lead in conducting and analyzing an online survey of aid recipients, as well as guideline-based interviews with aid recipients and experts. This will establish a data basis for conducting the success evaluation in accordance with the requirements of the German Federal Budget Code (BHO). The evaluation covers three key aspects: goal achievement, impact assessment, and cost-effectiveness analysis, all of which Arepo is also leading.