Bulgaria, Germany and Slovenia receive EU electricity price relief aid

The European Commission has approved State aid schemes to provide temporary electricity price relief for energy-intensive companies in Bulgaria, Germany and Slovenia (EU Commission press release, 16/04/2026). The aid aims to support energy-intensive companies by compensating them for a share of their electricity costs in the coming three years. Sectors considered as energy-intensive and with risk of moving outside of the EU are listed in the 2022 guidelines on State aid for climate, environmental protection and energy. The support will be provided under the condition to reinvest a significant share of the aid received in decarbonisation measures. 

• The Bulgarian measure will last from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028, with a budget of EUR334m to be distributed through electricity suppliers via a reduction on the beneficiaries' monthly electricity bill.
• The German measure is expected to last from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028, with a budget of EUR3.8bn; companies should apply for the aid at the end of each year, when the electricity consumption and the average wholesale market price are known. 
• The Slovenian measure should also last from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028 and it plans to give away the aid twice a year based on expected electricity consumption (EUR90m budget). 

The measure was approved under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF), created to support measures in sectors which are key for the transition to a net-zero economy, in line with the Clean Industrial Deal. The act allows EU Member States to grant aids to accelerate the green transition until the end of December 2030.