EU approves aid for electrical vehicles charging stations in the Netherlands

The European Commission announced Monday that it has approved Dutch plans to provide almost 33 million euros (about 36.7 million U.S. dollars) of public funding for the installation and operation of charging stations for electric vehicles, under the state aid rules of the European Union (EU).

"This scheme will contribute to the roll-out of the necessary infrastructure to make electric cars a viable alternative in the Netherlands," said a Commission press release.

The public funding for the installation and operation of electric charging posts in their area comes from the local authority concerned and is complemented by the central government.

The scheme also requires local authorities to draw in private investment to be eligible for the state support.

The operators of the electric charging posts will be selected through competitive tenders. The scheme will last for three years ending on July 1, 2018.

The tender process is expected to keep the amount of aid needed to the minimum necessary. The scheme will also be reviewed on an annual basis to make sure that the real costs of operating and installing the charging posts are reflected in the aid granted.

In 2014, the EU adopted the directive on the deployment of transport infrastructures based on electricity or other alternatives to fossil fuels. It sets a common European framework for the deployment of such infrastructure on the basis of national policy plans and European minimum requirements.

The legislation explicitly recognizes that the deployment of such infrastructure must comply with EU state aid rules. Endit