Article 3

The State aid consisting of reductions in the surcharge for the funding of support for electricity from renewable sources (EEG-surcharge) in the years 2013 and 2014 for energy-intensive users (Besondere Ausgleichsregelung, BesAR), unlawfully put into effect by Germany in breach of Article 108(3) of the Treaty, is compatible with the internal market if it falls into one of the four categories set out in this paragraph.

Where the State aid was granted to an undertaking which belongs to a sector listed in Annex 3 to the Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy 2014-20 (2014 Guidelines), it is compatible with the internal market if the undertaking paid at least 15 % of the additional costs faced by electricity suppliers due to obligations to buy renewable energy which are subsequently passed on to their customers. If the undertaking paid less than 15 % of those additional costs, the State aid is nevertheless compatible if the undertaking paid an amount that corresponds to at least 4 % of its gross value added or, for undertakings having an electro-intensity of at least 20 %, at least 0,5 % of gross value added.

Where the State aid was granted to an undertaking which does not belong to a sector listed in Annex 3 to the 2014 Guidelines but had an electro-intensity of at least 20 % in 2012 and belonged, in that year, to a sector with a trade intensity of at least 4 % at Union level, it is compatible with the internal market if the undertaking paid at least 15 % of the additional costs faced by electricity suppliers due to obligations to buy renewable energy which were subsequently passed on to electricity consumers. If the undertaking paid less than 15 % of those additional costs, the State aid is nevertheless compatible if the undertaking paid an amount that corresponds to at least 4 % of its gross value added or, for undertakings having an electro-intensity of at least 20 %, at least 0,5 % of gross value added.

Where the State aid was granted to an undertaking eligible for compatible State aid on the basis of the second or third subparagraph, but the amount of the EEG-surcharge paid by that undertaking did not reach the level required by those subparagraphs, the following parts of the aid are compatible:

Where the State aid was granted to an undertaking not eligible for compatible State aid on the basis of the second or third subparagraph, and where the undertaking paid less than 20 % of the additional costs of the surcharge without reduction, the following parts of the aid are compatible:

Any aid that is not covered by paragraph 1 is incompatible with the internal market.