The European Commission has proposed a Council Regulation enabling the Commission to exempt from prior notification under EU State aid rules certain types of aid for rail, inland waterway and multimodal transport, with the objective of promoting green transport.
The Commission welcomes the adoption by the European Parliament of the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, proposed by the Commission in December 2020.
The Commission welcomes the political agreement reached today between the European Parliament and EU Member States on the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (‘FSR'). The FSR is an important addition to the EU toolbox to address distortions caused by foreign subsidies and ensure a level playing field for all companies operating in the EU Single Market.
See also Statement by Executive Vice-President Vestager.
The European Commission will phase out the State aid COVID Temporary Framework, adopted on 19 March 2020 and last amended on 18 November 2021, enabling Member States to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. The State aid COVID Temporary Framework will not be extended beyond the current expiry date, which is 30 June 2022 for most of the tools provided. The existing phase-out and transition plan will not change, including the possibility for Member States to provide specific investment and solvency support measures until 31 December 2022 and 31 December 2023 respectively, as already announced in November last year.
The European Commission has adopted today the new Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (‘VBER') accompanied by the new Vertical Guidelines, following a thorough evaluation and review of the 2010 rules. The revised rules provide businesses with simpler, clearer and up-to-date rules and guidance. The new rules will help them to assess the compatibility of their supply and distribution agreements with EU competition rules in a business environment reshaped by the growth of e-commerce and online sales. The revised VBER and Vertical Guidelines will enter into force on 1 June 2022.
[...] "The political agreement today has also brought changes to the governance structure, for example with a bigger involvement of national competition authorities in the investigative parts of the Digital Markets Act." [...]
See also the Commission's press release.
The European Commission has adopted a Temporary Crisis Framework to enable Member States to use the flexibility foreseen under State aid rules to support the economy in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The College of Commissioners today endorsed the new Guidelines on State aid for climate, environmental protection and energy (‘CEEAG'). The CEEAG will be formally adopted in January 2022 and will be applicable from that moment. The new rules involve an alignment with the important EU objectives and targets set out in the European Green Deal and with other recent regulatory changes in the energy and environmental areas and cater for the increased importance of climate protection. The new rules create a flexible, fit-for-purpose enabling framework to help Member States provide the necessary support to reach the European Green Deal objectives in a targeted and cost-effective manner.
The European Commission has adopted revised Guidelines on State aid to promote risk finance investments (the 'Risk Finance Guidelines'). The revised Guidelines will apply from 1 January 2022. They clarify and simplify the rules under which Member States can support and facilitate access to finance by European start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises ('SMEs') and companies with a medium capitalization ('mid-caps'), while ensuring a level playing field in the Single Market.
The European Commission has adopted a revised Communication on Short-term export credit insurance (‘STEC Communication'). The STEC Communication lays down rules to (i) ensure that State support to export credits does not distort competition among private and public (or publicly supported) export credit insurers, and (ii) create a level playing field among exporters in different Member States. The revised STEC Communication will apply from 1 January 2022.
The European Commission has adopted a revised Communication on State aid rules for Important Projects of Common European Interest (‘IPCEI Communication'). The revised IPCEI Communication will apply from 1 January 2022. It sets the criteria for the Commission to assess Member State support to cross-border IPCEIs that overcome market failures and enable breakthrough innovation in key sectors and technologies and infrastructure investments, with positive spill-over effects for the EU economy at large.
The European Commission has decided to prolong until 30 June 2022 the State aid Temporary Framework (currently set to expire by 31 December 2021). In order to further accelerate the recovery, the Commission has also decided to introduce two new measures to create direct incentives for forward-looking private investment and solvency support measures, for an additional limited period.
The European Commission adopted today an extension of the scope of the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), which will allow Member States to implement certain aid measures without prior Commission scrutiny. The revised rules concern: (i) aid granted by national authorities for projects funded via certain EU centrally managed programmes under the new Multiannual Financial Framework; and (ii) certain State aid measures that to support the green and digital transition and are, at the same time, relevant for the recovery from the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
See also the corresponding FAQs.
The European Commission has adopted revised EU guidelines on regional State aid (the “Regional Aid Guidelines”), setting out the rules under which Member States can grant State aid to companies to support the economic development of disadvantaged areas in the EU, while ensuring a level playing field between Member States. The revised Guidelines will enter into force on 1 January 2022.
