My understanding is that the pilot always has to make a cold weather correction whenever the temperature is below ISA-15. However, countries like Sweden and Norway will apply Cold Weather Corrections whenever they are giving radar vectors. But at some point you will have to make an approach and in order to verify your vertical profile, you'll have to have some numbers ready in advance. Unfortunately, you'll have to work these numbers out yourself.
As for the platform at ESSA he could well be right - minus 47˚C at sea level would generate a 500' error on a 2,000' platform. But what do you do when you leave the platform? At what DME should the descent be started? So again, unless you have made some corrections you won't have a clue.