G/SCM/Q2/EU/47  
 
23 October 2015  
(15-5617)  Page: 1/5  
Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures  Original: English  
 
 SUBSIDIES 
QUESTIONS FROM THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION REGARDING 
THE NEW AND FULL NOTIFICATIONS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION1 
The following communication, dated 22 October 2015, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Russian Federation. 
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 Publicly available information suggests that certain measures relating to support of the renewable energy sector in the EU and falling within the scope of the EU's obligations regarding notification of 
subsidies under the SCM Agreement might not be mentioned in the recent subsidy notifications 
submitted by the EU (and its Member States). Therefore, the Russian Federation confirms its 
request for information submitted in the document G/SCM/Q2/EU/44 of 27 April 2014 and on top 
of this kindly asks the EU to provide rep lies to the following additional questions. 
 Question 1 
 
Bulgaria 
 Please, explain why the following measures relati ng to support of the renewable energy sector 
were not notified in G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.3 an d G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.3 or provide information 
required under Article 25 of the SCM Agreement for each of these measures:  
 Energy Efficiency Act, Law on Energy Efficien cy; published in the State Gazette No. 18 of 5 
March 2004; 
 Energy from Renewable Sources Act; published in the State Gazette No. 35 of 3 May 2011 
(subsidies by means of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources Fund). 
Moreover, the above mentioned Energy Strategy  of the Republic of Bulgaria until 2020 of 
December 2012 also provides a framework for certain renewable energy support measures. Please, inform whether such measures were ev entually implemented and provide information 
required under Article 25 of the SCM Agreement fo r each of the implemented measures or explain 
why they should not be notified.  
Question 2 
 Hungary 
 Please, explain why Act LXXXVI of 2007 on Electric  Energy published on 2 July 2007 and providing 
for certain renewable energy support schemes was not notified in G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.12 and 
                                               
1 G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.1, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.2, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.3, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.4, 
G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.5, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.6, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.10, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.12, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.13, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.14, G/ SCM/N/253/EU/Add.15, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.17, 
G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.18, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.19, G/ SCM/N/253/EU/Add.24, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.27, 
G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.3, G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.6, G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.11, G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.13, 
G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.14, G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.15, G/ SCM/N/284/EU/Add.16, G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.19, 
G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.20. G/SCM/Q2/EU/47 
 
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  G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.13 or provide information re quired under Article 25 of the SCM Agreement 
for this measure.  Question 3 
 
United Kingdom 
 
G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.27 does not contain any in formation concerning implementation of the 
renewable energy support measures foreseen by the "National Infrastructure Plan – 2013" of December 2013, including the following:  
 subsidies through the mechanism of "Strike Price" within the Contracts for Difference; 
 investment of £5 million during 2014-2015 in a large scale electric vehicle readiness 
programme for public sector fleets; 
 support in the form of special tariffs on renewable heat. 
Please, inform whether such mechanisms were eventually implemented and provide information 
required under Article 25 of the SCM Agreement fo r each of the implemented measures or explain 
why they should not be notified. 
 Question 4  
Germany 
 
Please, explain why Renewable Energy Act (published on 25 October 2008) providing for various 
support schemes of the renewable energy sector was not notified in G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.10 and 
G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.11 or provide the info rmation required under Article 25 of the 
SCM Agreement for this measure. 
 
Question 5  Denmark 
 Please, explain why the following measures relati ng to support of the renewable energy sector 
were not notified in G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.6 or provide information required under Article 25 of 
the SCM Agreement for each of these measures: 
  Act on Subsidies for Renewable Energy in the Companies' Production Processes; of 
12 June 2013 N 607 (grants for projects, which can contribute to energy efficiency 
improvements, including the reduction in CO2 emissions); 
 Act on the Promotion of Renewable Energy – 2015; of 25 November 2013 No. 1330 
(subsidies for electricity produced by wind farms); 
 Act on the Promotion of Renewable Energy – 2015; of 25 November 2013 No. 1330 
(surcharge for biogas). 
Question 6 
 
Italy 
 
G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.14 and G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.15 do not contain any information concerning 
the implementation of the measures foreseen by the following documents:   Italy's National Energy Strategy: for a More Competitive and Sustainable Energy; of 
March 2013; 
 Italian National Renewable Energy Action Plan; of 30 June 2010. 
In particular, according to these documents the following measures should have been applied: 
 
 tax relief of 55% on costs incurred for installation of heat pumps, solar thermal systems or 
biomass systems; G/SCM/Q2/EU/47 
 
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   tax relief measures for users connected to district heating networks using geothermal 
sources or biomass; 
 energy efficiency credits scheme applicable to technologies such as solar thermal systems, 
biomass boilers and heat pumps, including geothermal heat pumps; 
 excise duty exemption for solid biomass used to fuel domestic boilers; 
 incentive scheme based on fixed all-inclusive tariffs for electricity fed into the grid by 
renewable energy plants; 
 incentive scheme for photovoltaic and solar th ermodynamic plants through the feed-in tariff 
mechanism; 
 provision of funds for operations in the southern Italian regions, in the biomass sector, to 
produce technology for the use of renewable en ergy sources and for energy efficiency, and 
to develop innovative geothermal plants; 
 loans granted by Kyoto Rotating Fund and aimed at financing operations related to 
renewables, energy efficiency, research and forest management; 
 capital grants and interest rate subsidies. 
Please, inform whether such mechanisms were eventually implemented and provide information 
required under Article 25 of the SCM Agreement fo r each of the implemented measures or explain 
why they should not be notified. 
 Question 7  
Cyprus 
 
G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.4 do not contain any info rmation concerning implementation of the 
measures foreseen by the following documents: 
  Renewable Energy Industry Roadmap for Cyprus; of March 2010; 
 National Renewable Energy Action Plan; of June 2010; 
In particular, according to these documents the following measures should have been applied: 
  investment loans for construction of wind farms; 
 feed-in tariffs; 
 subsidies for purchase of energy efficient vehicles; 
 subsidies for costs of construction of plants producing biofuels for transport purposes. 
Please, inform whether such mechanisms were eventually implemented and provide information 
required under Article 25 of the SCM Agreement fo r each of the implemented measures or explain 
why they should not be notified. 
 
Question 8  Malta 
 Please, explain why the following measures relati ng to support of the renewable energy sector 
were not notified in G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.18 and G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.19 or provide the 
information required under Article 25 of the SCM Agreement for each of these measures: 
  Energy Efficiency and Cogeneration Regulations, Legal Notice 196 of 2014;   
 Subsidiary legislation 423.19, Promotion of En ergy from Renewable Sources Regulations; 
Legal Notice 538 of 2010 ( using green certif icates and direct price support schemes 
including feed-in tariffs and premium payments); 
 Subsidiary legislation 423.46, Feed-In Tariffs Scheme (Electricity Generated from Solar 
Photovoltaic Installations) Regulations; Legal Notice 253 of 2013 (feed-in tariffs).  
 G/SCM/Q2/EU/47 
 
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  Question 9 
 Latvia 
 
Please, explain why Subsidized Electricity Tax Law of 6 November 2013, which relates to support 
of the renewable energy sector was no t notified in G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.15 and 
G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.16 or provide the information required under Article 25 of the SCM 
Agreement for this measure. 
 Question 10  
Netherlands 
 
Please, explain why the following measures relating to provision of financial support to the 
renewable energy sector were not notified in G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.19 and 
G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.20 or provide the information required under Article 25 of the SCM Agreement for each of these measures: 
 
 Regulation of the Minister of Economic Affair s; of 28 February 2008 No. WJZ 8024263 (rules 
for implementing subsidies under the Decree on the promotion of sustainable energy); 
 Regulation of the Minister of Economic Affairs; of 30 September 2014 No. WJZ / 14156191; 
 Regulation of the Minister for Housing and Service of June 16, 2014, no. 2014-0000293800, 
(rules for provision of grants for energy sustainability promotion of the existing housing stock); 
 Bill Containing Rules Concerning Production, Transport, Trade and Supply of Electricity and 
Gas; of 31 July 2014. 
Question 11 
 
Austria 
 Please, explain why Green Electricity Act of 2012 foreseeing feed-in tariffs for renewable energy 
and annual support funds for green power plants was not notified in G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.1 or 
provide the information required under Articl e 25 of the SCM Agreement for this measure. 
 
Question 12 
 Belgium 
 Please, explain why the following measures relati ng to support of the renewable energy sector 
were not notified in G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.2 or provide the information required under Article 25 of the SCM Agreement for each of these measures: 
 
 Royal Decree; of 16 July 2002 (obligation of op erators of national electricity distribution 
system to purchase green certificates from electricity producers at fixed price); 
 Order of the Flemish Government; of 19 January 2010 (grants for installation of thermal 
power micro stations and heat pumps). 
Question 13 
 
Luxembourg 
 Please, explain why the Order of the Grand Duke of 12 December 2012 stipulating financial 
support for installation of solar photoelectric facilities was not notified in G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.17 
or provide the information required under Arti cle 25 of the SCM Agreement for this measure. G/SCM/Q2/EU/47 
 
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  Question 14 
 Slovenia 
 
Please, explain why Decree on Support of Electr icity Produced from Renewable Energy Sources 
(published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia Nos. 37/09, 53/09, 68/09, 76/09, 17/10, 94/10, 43/11, 105/11, 43/12, 90/12 and 17/14) and establishing feed-in tariffs for 
renewable energy was not notified in G/SCM/N/ 253/EU/Add.24 or provide the information required 
under Article 25 of the SCM Agreement for this measure.  Question 15 
 
Czech Republic 
 
Please, explain why Act No. 165 of 31 January 2012 On Promoted Energy Sources relating to 
support of the renewable energy sector wa s not notified in G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.5 and 
G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.6 or provide the informat ion required under Article 25 of the SCM 
Agreement for this measure. 
 Question 16  
Ireland 
 
G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.13 and G/SCM/N/284/EU/Add.14 do not contain any information concerning 
implementation of the measures foreseen by th e National Renewable Energy Action Plan. In 
particular, according to this document the following measures should have been applied:  
 grants for planting perennial biomass crops; 
 grants to households to contribute initial costs of installation of heating equipment using 
renewable sources of energy, 
 grant for installation of biomass heat and power units, 
 tax relief for biofuels, 
 tax relief for investment in renewable energy, 
 exemption for electric vehicles from Vehicle Registration Tax. 
 
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