Brussels, 01/08/2012 (Agence Europe) - As part of its state aid modernisation (SAM) which started in May 2012 (see EUROPE 10611), the European Commission is reviewing the EU Guidelines on State Aid for Environmental Protection. The review starts with a public consultation, seeking stakeholders' views on the functioning of the guidelines since their adoption in 2008. In light of the submissions received and its own experience in applying the guidelines, the Commission will propose revised draft guidelines in 2013. Submissions to the consultation can be made until 23 October 2012.
The Commission will examine how the guidelines can best channel public resources towards well-established objectives of common interest, while ensuring that public financing does not lead to undue distortions of competition. The questionnaire contains questions on general policy to support environmental protection and more specific ones on the use and effectiveness of aid in member states. It contains more detailed questions on the experience with the application of the common and specific provisions of the guidelines, and also contains questions on the specific provisions on environmental aid in the General Block Exemption Regulation (see EUROPE 9698), which are currently under revision in order to ensure coherence.
The guidelines and questionnaire can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consultations/2012_state_aid_environment/index_en.html (FG/transl.fl)