European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions

The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist
in the development of better social, employment and
work-related policies

EU PolicyWatch

Database of national-level policy measures

Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure BE-2022-1/2755 – measures in Belgium

WalEnergie

WalEnergie

Country Belgium , applies regionally
Time period Open ended, started on 01 January 2022
Context Green Transition
Type Legislations or other statutory regulations
Category Reorientation of business activities
– Change of production/Innovation
Author Dries Van Herreweghe (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) and Eurofound
Measure added 16 August 2022 (updated 26 April 2024)

Background information

The Walloon Government, in response to the increasing costs of energy and CO2 emissions, is launching the WalEnergie scheme. This initiative, proposed by the Minister for the Economy, Willy Borsus, and the Minister for Energy, Philippe Henry, aims to assist companies in transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

As the future viability of businesses hinges on improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon footprints, many lack the expertise and financing required for such investments. Deploying innovative energy and climate technologies demands substantial resources, posing both technical and financial risks, often with long-term returns.

To address these challenges, the Government is entrusting SRIW and SOWALFIN with the task of establishing the WalEnergie scheme. This program offers support and financing for low-carbon transition projects in Wallonia. It seeks to create a comprehensive support and financing platform for businesses of all sizes, complementing existing initiatives such as Novalia's EasyGreen scheme, which targets VSEs/SMEs. This move aligns with the broader goal of fostering a sustainable and environmentally responsible business landscape.

Content of measure

WalEnergie will structure its support for industries around the financing of five strategic areas:

  • Improving production processes through innovative, low-carbon technologies.
  • Energy efficiency and renovation of buildings, including lighting (possibly via EPCs).
  • Renewable energy production.
  • Sustainable mobility.
  • Logistics and maintenance.

Initially, WalEnergie will work with "pilot" industrial companies that are part of the Branch Agreements from several sectors, such as chemicals or IT.

For these companies, WalEnergie will use audits, CO2 mapping and the companies' current action plans as a basis for making concrete investment proposals with appropriate financing solutions.

WalEnergie will also offer support in implementing action plans with long payback periods (more than 5 years), through additional studies and assistance in identifying investment subsidies that could be activated in order to carry out a robust economic and financial analysis.

Financing will be provided in the form of loans, guarantees and, to a lesser extent, equity investments.

Use of measure

No data.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Does not apply to workers Applies to all businesses Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
Local / regional government
Regional funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Unknown Unknown
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • Unknown
  • Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No information available

Views and reactions

No information available

Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2022), WalEnergie, measure BE-2022-1/2755 (measures in Belgium), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/BE-2022-1_2755.html

Share

Eurofound publications based on EU PolicyWatch

30 January 2023

 

Measures to lessen the impact of the inflation and energy crisis on citizens

Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.

Article

12 September 2022

 

First responses to cushion the impact of inflation on citizens

Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Article

12 September 2022

 

Policies to support EU companies affected by the war in Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.

Article

5 July 2022

 

Policies to support refugees from Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Article

Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.