Glass Alliance Europe submitted a joint statement to the European Commission on the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), calling for the avoidance of a blanket exclusion of block-exempted aid for hybrid furnaces relying on the residual use of fossil fuels.
At a time when the European glass industry is facing rising operating costs, challenging market conditions and significant capital expenditure requirements to modernise production assets and rebuild highly efficient furnaces, public support must remain accessible and comparable to that available to other sectors.
The glass sectors are concerned that certain provisions in the draft regulation could effectively exclude investments in glass manufacturing from support.
Glass Alliance Europe therefore calls for amendments to Articles 51(3)(b), 52(3)(b), and 55(4)(e) to ensure that aid remains available for furnaces using natural gas in combination with other energy sources. At present, no commercially available and technologically mature alternatives exist to operate these processes entirely on carbon-neutral energy.
Further details are available in the joint statement below.