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1. As an exceptional measure strictly necessary to address the energy crisis resulting from the impact of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the ERDF may support the financing of working capital in the form of grants to SMEs particularly affected by energy price increases, under the investment priority referred to in Article 5(3), point (d), of Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013. SMEs particularly affected by energy price increases are those eligible to receive aid for additional costs due to exceptionally severe increases in natural gas and electricity prices under the temporary crisis framework for State-aid measures.

As a further exceptional measure strictly necessary to address the energy crisis resulting from the impact of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the ESF may support vulnerable households to help them meet their energy consumption costs, even without any corresponding active measures, under the investment priority referred to in Article 3(1), point (b)(iv), of Regulation (EU) No 1304/2013.

2. Operations providing the support referred to in paragraph 1 may be financed either by the ERDF or the ESF on the basis of the rules applicable to the other Fund. In addition, where such operations contribute to one of the investment priorities referred to in paragraph 1, they may be financed by the Cohesion Fund on the basis of the rules applicable either to the ERDF or the ESF. Furthermore, the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund may also finance access to the labour market by maintaining the jobs of employees and the self-employed through short-time work and equivalent schemes, on the basis of the rules applicable to the ESF under the investment priority referred to in Article 3(1), point (a)(v), of Regulation (EU) No 1304/2013.

3. Operations providing the support referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be programmed exclusively under a new dedicated priority axis. The dedicated priority axis may comprise funding from the ERDF and the ESF from different categories of regions and from the Cohesion Fund. Support provided by REACT-EU resources, within the meaning of Article 92a, shall be programmed under a separate dedicated priority axis contributing to the investment priority referred to in Article 92b(9), third subparagraph. The amounts allocated to the dedicated priority axes referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall not exceed 10 % of the total ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund resources, including REACT-EU resources under the Investment for growth and jobs goal, allocated to the Member State concerned for the 2014-2020 programming period, as laid down in the relevant Commission implementing acts. By way of derogation from the first and second subparagraphs of Article 120(3), a co-financing rate of 100 % shall be applied to the dedicated priority axis or axes.

4. Requests for the amendment of an existing operational programme submitted by a Member State aiming at introducing a dedicated priority axis or axes referred to in paragraph 3 shall be duly justified and accompanied by the revised programme. The elements listed in Article 96(2), point (b)(v) and (vii), shall not be required in the description of the priority axis or axes in the revised operational programme.

5. By way of derogation from Article 65(9), expenditure for operations supporting the financing of working capital in the form of grants in SMEs particularly affected by energy price increases, for operations providing support to vulnerable households to help them meet their energy consumption costs, and for short-time work and equivalent schemes shall be eligible from 1 February 2022. Article 65(6) shall not apply in respect of such operations and schemes.

6. By way of derogation from Article 125(3), point (b), operations supporting the financing of working capital in the form of grants to SMEs particularly affected by energy price increases, operations providing support to vulnerable households to help them meet their energy consumption costs, and short-time work and equivalent schemes may be selected for support by the ERDF, the ESF or the Cohesion Fund prior to the approval of the revised programme.

7. For operations supporting the financing of working capital in the form of grants to SMEs particularly affected by energy price increases implemented outside the programme area but within the Member State, only point (d) of Article 70(2), first subparagraph, shall apply. By way of derogation from Article 70(4), to operations supported by the ESF providing support to vulnerable households to help them meet their energy consumption costs and to short-time work and equivalent schemes implemented outside the programme area but within the Member State, Article 70(2), first subparagraph, point (d), shall also apply.

8. The total payments by the Commission to Member States from the ERDF, the ESF, and the Cohesion Fund, excluding REACT-EU resources, for the dedicated priorities referred to in paragraph 3 shall not exceed EUR 5 000 000 000 in 2023. Amounts shall be paid subject to available funding under the ceilings of the multiannual financial framework 2014-2020.

9. This Article shall not apply to programmes under the European territorial cooperation goal.