Commission consults Member States on proposal for a Temporary Crisis Framework

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

The European Commission is gathering the views of Member States on a draft proposal for a State aid Temporary Crisis Framework to support the EU economy in the context of the Middle East crisis, as announced on 13 April 2026 by President Ursula von der Leyen. The draft proposal is based on Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which allows aid to develop specific economic sectors also in view of specific unexpected economic risks.

The Commission is consulting Member States to seek their views on a targeted and temporary framework to address the effects of the crisis on some of the most exposed sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, fishery, road transport and intra-EU short sea shipping. The draft proposal also includes a temporary adjustment to the Clean Industrial Deal State aid Framework (CISAF) allowing for higher aid intensities to address electricity price spikes.

The draft proposal under consultation proposes to allow Member States to grant:

• Calibrated temporary support for the most exposed sectors:
  • covering part of the price increases for fuel or fertilisers, as compared to before 28 February 2026, based on beneficiaries’ consumption, and
  • a simplified measure allowing a limited amount of aid per company (except for EU short sea shipping). On this basis, Member States may rely on relevant statistics to avoid individual tracking of actual consumption.
• An increased maximum aid intensity for the electricity costs for energy-intensive industries under Section 4.5 of the CISAF, above the existing maximum of 50%.

In addition, the Commission stands ready to assess, on a case-by-case basis and subject to several requirements, temporary measures that may include subsidising the fuel cost of gas-fired electricity generation to reduce overall electricity costs.

The Commission is also asking additional questions to Member States about the measures in the draft framework and on whether any further measures are required to address the effects of the crisis. Member States now have the possibility to comment on the Commission’s draft proposal and answer these questions. The Commission will quickly assess the responses, with the aim of adopting a Temporary Framework by the end of April.

Background

State aid rules enable Member States to take swift and effective action to support citizens and companies, in particular SMEs, facing economic difficulties due to current situation in energy markets.

The proposed Temporary Energy Crisis Framework would complement the ample possibilities for Member States to design measures in line with existing EU State aid rules, in particular those under the CISAF.

Member States also continue to be able to implement State aid measures under the General Block Exemption Regulation, without the need to notify them to the Commission.