In December 2021, the European Commission approved the new guidelines for state aid for climate, environmental and energy protection. With the guidelines, the European Commission sets an updated framework for state aid in the form of subsidy payments as well as benefits. Until now, the industry 25.61 "Surface finishing and heat treatment" was not explicitly mentioned in the guidelines as a sector at risk and therefore eligible for subsidies.
In order for the entire sector to qualify for energy subsidies in the future, the ZVO has been lobbying the European Commission since the fall of 2020 to include the sector in the annex to the guidelines. In addition to participating in public consultations, the association has regularly sought exchanges with the decisive bodies in Brussels. As a result, it has now been possible to ensure that the sector has been classified as a "sector at significant risk" in the new guidelines due to its high electricity and trade intensity and is therefore eligible for funding.