Faced with rising energy costs, Higher Education Minister Sylvie Retailleau announced on Thursday that an envelope of €275 million would be released to help research organisations, colleges and universities cope with the extra costs. “The aid will be paid in proportion to the additional costs, to help all establishments, because they are all subject to rising energy prices,” the minister explained in an interview with the newspaper Les Echos.
A first part of this aid affects all establishments, the second will be paid on a case-by-case basis. The financial reserves of the establishments will be used. In total, 275 million euros will be released to meet the additional costs in 2023. “This fund will be used for higher education centers such as research organizations, as well as for the Crous”, explains Sylvie Retailleau.
Additional energy costs for higher education establishments are estimated at €500 million by 2023 compared to 2021. For research organizations, additional costs could reach €100 million by 2023 compared to 2021, according to the echoes.
Reduction of consumption from 5 to 10%
“We don’t want to run out of working capital,” says Sylvie Retailleau. “We do not want to penalize their activities, nor freeze their projects or contracts. On the other hand, we ask them for responsibility when they have a very large working capital available”, she warned. According to her, “there can be no dormant money. These reserves are to be used in times of crisis.”
The minister also assures that “establishments are fully committed to an energy sobriety approach” and “are currently establishing sobriety plans that will lead to a reduction in energy consumption of 5 to 10% from 2023”.
If the additional costs continue to rise, Sylvie Retailleau does not rule out resorting to the precautionary reserve, provided for by the finance law. “We will take stock at the end of 2023. It could, if necessary, be released according to the actual additional costs, if they exceed current forecasts, and the financial capacities of the establishments, at the end of 2023”, she assures.
Source: BFM TV
