Commission approves amendments to German regional aid map for the period 2017-2020

3/11/2016 - The European Commission has found amendments to Germany's regional aid map for granting state aid between 2014 and 2020 to be in line with EU state aid rules. The map defines the German regions that are eligible for regional investment aid under EU state aid rules and establishes the maximum levels of aid (so-called "aid intensities") that can be granted. The 2014 Guidelines on Regional State Aid allow for a mid-term review of the regional aid maps approved by the Commission. This enables Member States to make amendments to the list of supported areas and/or the level of aid intensities in supported areas, in order to take into account recent changes in the social and economic circumstances of individual regions. The modifications to the maps need to comply with the criteria set out in the Guidelines. Germany notified a proposal to align the list of eligible regions within Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to the administrative delimitations in place at the moment of the mid-term review. As the newly defined sub-region Vorpommern-Greifswald borders a so-called 'a' region with high maximum aid intensity (regions where the economic situation is very unfavourable as compared to the EU average), Vorpommern-Greifswald can benefit from an increased maximum aid intensity of 20% in accordance with the rules of the Guidelines. As the entire Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has been eligible for support under Germany's regional aid map, there is no change in the total population coverage of assisted areas within Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and within Germany. The modified map will be in force from 1 January 2017 until 31 December 2020.