Council of States decides on state aid for Swiss steelworks
Published: Monday, Dec 16th 2024, 05:40
Back to Live Feed
On Monday (today), the Council of States will discuss whether the ailing Swiss steel industry should receive emergency state aid. If, after the National Council, the small chamber also says yes to the bill, steelworks of strategic importance will receive a waiver on electricity charges under certain conditions.
There is a good chance that the Council of States will say yes. After all, a majority of the Council of States' Committee for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy (Urek-S) is requesting approval of the draft amendment to the Electricity Supply Act.
However, the Urek-S wants to attach more conditions to the granting of electricity price rebates than the National Council. For example, the Council of States committee wants to enshrine in law that the electricity costs of the companies to be supported must account for at least 5% of gross value added.
The companies must also participate in the Swiss emissions trading system, demonstrate the preservation of the Swiss production site on the basis of a business plan and draw up a net-zero roadmap.
According to the parliamentary debates, the focus of the aid is on Stahl Gerlafingen in the canton of Solothurn, Swiss Steel in Emmenbrücke LU and the Valais aluminum foundry Novelis, although they are not mentioned by name in the text of the law. They are to be exempted from part of the fees for using the electricity grid for four years. The discount is to be borne jointly by all electricity consumers.
In the interests of the country's security of supply and sustainability, framework conditions must be created for iron, steel and light metal foundries "of strategic importance" that allow these plants to continue to exist. This is what the supporters of the bill say.
This originates from the National Council's draft bill. On Monday, the Council of States will also debate three proposals that were at the origin of the draft bill.
©Keystone/SDA
English 
German 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic