The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition has closed a three-and-a-half year case launched to examine whether a decision by Greek authorities to reduce payment tariffs on existing RES production agreements breached the renewable energy sector’s New Deal terms.

In its decision, the Brussels authority noted that Greek authorities ought to have  notified the European Commission of their intention to reduce RES output tariffs but added the EU body could now close the case as Greece’s RES special account did require balancing and, in addition, a RES auction system has since been introduced.

RES output tariff reductions varied in size. The photovoltaic sub-sector was hit hardest.

A European Commission decision in the other direction would have proved devastating for the entire electricity market, not just the RES sector, local legal sources active in the domain told energypress.