Overview   State aid

The Commission takes note of today’s judgment of the Court of Justice, which upholds the 2024 General Court’s ruling and annuls the 2021 Commission State aid decision approving measures under the German support scheme for Combined Heat and Power. In its decision, the Commission concluded that the scheme involved the use of State resources and thus constituted State aid.
In its judgment, the Court of Justice found that the financing of the scheme did not amount to State resources and hence the scheme does not constitute State aid.
The Commission will carefully study the judgment and reflect on possible next steps.

The Commission takes note of today’s preliminary ruling by the Court of Justice.
The Court clarified that an exemption from VAT for services provided between undertakings to carry out banking, insurance or pension fund transactions constitutes State aid.
The Commission will carefully study the judgment including to assess its implications for its case practice.

The Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF) allowed Member States to swiftly deploy State aid in response to the energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With the evolution of the crisis, the Commission adjusted the rules from immediate emergency support into a tool addressing also the strategic root causes of the energy crisis and accelerate investments in line with the green transition.
See also Statistical annex.

The Commission takes note of today’s judgments of the General Court that dismiss Ryanair’s actions for annulment against two Commission no-objection decisions adopted in 2020 and 2024, concerning an Italian aid scheme to compensate the damage suffered by certain airlines due to the COVID-19 pandemic between 1 March and 15 June 2020 (2020 decision), and the amendment of that scheme extending it to cover the year 2021 (2024 decision).
The General Court considered that the aid scheme complied with all the requirements set under Article 107(2)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Moreover, the General Court concluded that none of the modalities of the aid scheme led to a discrimination based on nationality, nor to an infringement of the freedom to provide services and of establishment in the internal market.
See also the Court's judgment in case T-538/24, as well as Curia's press release (in PDF format).

The European Commission has approved a €402 million Spanish State aid scheme to support road transport companies facing increased fuel prices due to the Middle East crisis.
The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF) adopted by the Commission on 29 April 2026.

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, Romanian measures for the national investment and development bank Banca de Investiții și Dezvoltare S.A. ('BID').
In January 2023, the Commission approved a Romanian measure to set up BID with an initial capital of €1.6 billion. The measures approved today consist of a capital increase of €1 billion, partly funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility ('RRF'), as well as a three-year extension of the State guarantee backing BID's operations. The Commission has also approved an extension of the scope of the bank's activities beyond those authorised in 2023.

The Clean Industrial Deal State aid Framework (CISAF) was adopted on 25th June 2025. One year on, the CISAF helps EU Member States to easily support the development of clean energy, industrial carbonisation and clean technology.
By using the CISAF over the last year, the Commission has:

• Taken a total of 28 decisions
• Approved 29 national measures notified by 15 Member States
• Approved a total of €61.778 in State aid

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €76 million German measure to support QuantumDiamonds GmbH to set up a new facility for the production of semiconductor testing equipment in Munich. The measure will contribute to strengthening the EU's position and autonomy in the semiconductor value chain, in line with the objectives set out in the European Chips Act and the Commission's 2024-2029 Political Guidelines.

The European Commission has approved an €85 million Irish State aid scheme to support agricultural companies facing increased fuel prices due to the Middle East crisis.
The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF) adopted by the Commission on 29 April 2026.

The European Commission has approved a €1 billion Slovak scheme to support clean technology (cleantech) manufacturing capacity in line with the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal. This measure will contribute to the transition towards a net-zero economy. The scheme was approved under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) adopted by the Commission on 25 June 2025.

The European Commission has approved an €8 million Croatian State aid scheme to support fishing companies facing increased fuel prices due to the Middle East crisis.
The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF) adopted by the Commission on 29 April 2026.

The procurement aims to obtain a study on the State aid enforcement by national courts in the EU, including a comprehensive overview of the relevant national court cases since the last study carried out for the Commission, i.e. 1st January 2018. Through the Study, the Commission intends to obtain the state of play of the application of State aid rules before national courts, the identification of the main obstacles and best practices arising at national level, as well as recommendations on possible actions to be undertaken by the Commission and at national level to improve the effectiveness and uniformity of State aid enforcement.

The Commission takes note of today’s judgment of the Court of Justice, which rejects the appeal brought by Laurent Merlin, 36 other fishermen and the association Life, against the judgment rendered by the General Court in case T-141/23. The appealed judgment partially dismissed an action for failure to act against the Commission under Article 265 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.
In today’s judgment, the Court of Justice concludes that the General Court did not err in law by dismissing the action and correctly concluded that the Commission had defined its position on the measures granted by The Netherlands to Dutch shipowners for electric trawl fishing, which were cofinanced under the European Fisheries Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

The European Commission has approved a €23 billion Italian State aid scheme to support electricity production from renewable energy sources, in line with the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal. This measure will contribute to the transition towards a net-zero economy and reaching the renewable energy target set at EU level for 2030. The scheme was approved under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) adopted by the Commission on 25 June 2025.

The European Commission has approved a €100 million Austrian scheme to support clean technology ('cleantech') manufacturing capacity, in line with the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal. This measure will contribute to the transition towards a net-zero economy. The scheme was approved under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) adopted by the Commission on 25 June 2025.

The European Commission has approved a €25 million Spanish State aid scheme to support fishing companies facing increased fuel prices due to the Middle East crisis.
The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF) adopted by the Commission on 29 April 2026.

The European Commission has approved a €54 million Spanish State aid scheme to support agricultural companies facing increased fuel prices due to the Middle East crisis.
The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF) adopted by the Commission on 29 April 2026. The scheme covers higher diesel prices from late March to late June and will run until 31 December 2026.

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €9 billion capacity mechanism for electricity supply for Spain. This aid measure aims to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to produce, store or flexibly consume electricity and that electricity production meets the expected demand.

The European Commission has approved a €15 million French State aid scheme to support agricultural and aquaculture companies facing increased fuel prices due to the Middle East crisis.
The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF) adopted by the Commission on 29 April 2026.

The European Commission has approved a €500 million Spanish State aid scheme to support agricultural companies facing increased fertiliser prices due to the Middle East crisis.
The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF) adopted by the Commission on 29 April 2026.