Closure of coal-fired power stations in Spain

EN E-007445/2017 Answer given by Mr Arias Cañete on behalf of the Commission (28.2.2018) Under EU competition rules, Member States are not allowed to grant State aid to companies to meet mandatory environmental standards. This would go against the "polluter pays" principle and give the fossil-fuel power plants an unfair competitive advantage towards other forms of power generation and towards fossil-fuel power plants in other EU countries subject to the same EU legislation. The Commission is aware of the draft Royal Decree on the authorisation procedure for the closure of generation plants. It is in close contact with the Spanish authorities in order to clarify the content of these draft rules and to work towards a solution that, in accordance with the EU Treaties, is in line with the existing EU law. Achieving the Paris objectives requires everyone's contribution and it is Member States' responsibility to ensure that their regulatory framework facilitates the clean energy transition.