The Polish government has adopted a PLN 5-billion (EUR 1.07 billion) programme of subsidies for sectors that consume excessive amounts of energy to protect them from soaring energy prices.
Polish consumers face sharp increases in electricity and gas bills owing to a boycott of Russian carbon fuels and a global energy crunch.
“It is yet another stage of government support for energy-intensive enterprises, with a budget of as much as PLN 5 billion,” Development Minister Waldemar Buda said.
“The first stage was the 2022 scheme offered to 92 entities for the year 2021, which was worth nearly PLN 800 million (EUR 171 million),” Buda added.
The Development Ministry said that the programme’s guidelines were accepted by the European Commission (EC) in December 2022. The EC must approve state aid to make sure it does not endanger competition on the single European market.
The Development Ministry predicts some 1,000 firms, mostly medium-sized and large companies, will benefit from the programme. (PAP/Business World Magazine)