In response to the European Commission’s consultation on the Technical updates of the EU emissions Trading System (EU ETS) State Aid Guidelines, Glass Fibre Europe has submitted its reply to request adding all continuous filament glass fibre products (CFGF) on the list of eligible sectors for the indirect costs compensation.
Currently, CFGF products are largely excluded from these compensation schemes, with only two product categories eligible, representing less than 5% of the sector’s total output in Europe.
This exclusion creates a significant challenge for the industry. To achieve the EU’s climate neutrality objectives, the European continuous filament glass fibre sector must increase electrification of its processes, which today accounts for around 30% of total energy consumption. This transition will require substantial additional costs that, under the current guidelines, cannot be supported by national authorities.
In its response, Glass Fibre Europe urges the European Commission to review the threshold for the eligible products under the ETS State Aid Guidelines, and eventually to reassess the CFGF products exposure to carbon leakage due to indirect costs.
Updating these guidelines is essential to enable the sector to invest in clean technologies, prevent carbon leakage, and strengthen Europe’s industrial competitiveness.
Read the full joint position paper below