SME policy responses to the 2022/2023 energy crisis
Policy highlights and country experiences
This paper takes stock of one year of policy responses to the 2022/2023 energy crisis
triggered by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine from the perspective of small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In this paper, “SME policy responses” are defined
as all government policies, whether SME-specific or not, which have lowered or affected
in other way the price of electricity and natural gas paid by SMEs. The paper discusses
three broad policy categories and related approaches implemented across countries:
price-support measures; income-support measures; and complementary policies fostering
the green transition. Overall, while emergency measures were initially centred on
energy-intensive sectors, a larger number of SMEs was eventually covered as governments
ramped up the scale and scope of their action due to the protraction of the Russian
war in Ukraine. Going forward, as wholesale energy prices return to pre-war levels,
price-support measures should be withdrawn. Income support could be used in some cases
to help companies deal with still high retail energy prices, but the main policy focus
should shift towards measures that improve the energy efficiency and environmental
performance of SMEs.
Available from July 04, 2023
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