Recital 35

(35) In particular, the ERDF should exceptionally be used to provide working capital support to SMEs particularly affected by energy price increases. Support to SMEs particularly affected by energy price increases should be proportionate and respect applicable State aid rules. Moreover, the ESF should exceptionally be used to provide support to vulnerable households, as defined in national rules, to help them meet their energy consumption costs even in the absence of measures increasing the employability of the people supported, i.e., active measures. Those are exceptional measures strictly necessary to address the energy crisis resulting from the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. They ensure that people supported have access to essential services, thereby also contributing to the conditions conducive to good health necessary to participate in the labour market. Support may be provided by the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund interchangeably. Furthermore, in addition to the ESF, it should be possible to use the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund to support job retention measures through short-time work and equivalent schemes, including support to the self-employed. Such schemes aim to protect employees and the self-employed against the risk of unemployment. The resources allocated to such schemes are to be used exclusively to support workers and self-employed. Union support to such short-time work and equivalent schemes should be limited in time. It should also be possible to use REACT-EU resources set out in Article 92a of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 for those three types of support in order to reinforce the ongoing efforts of Member States towards the resilient recovery of their economies following the COVID-19 crisis.

← Recital 34 · All articles · Recital 36 →

Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.