Brussels, 22/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - Without debate on Monday 22 July, the Foreign Affairs Council adopted two draft regulations to update the European Commission's state aid control rules. The draft legislation was unveiled by the Commission in May 2012.
The first draft regulation changes the procedural regulation laying down rules for state aid investigations to focus the Commission's attention on cases having a serious potential impact on competition and trade in the internal market.
The second draft regulation changes the enabling regulation that allows the Commission to introduce exemptions for categories of aid that are compatible with the single market so that prior notification to, and approval by, the Commission is not required. Under the new regulation, the Commission will be able to apply a simplified monitoring procedure to some additional cross-cutting aid categories, such as public support for culture and innovation, and repair of damage resulting from natural disasters, and reserve the usual procedure for other categories of aid that are more likely to affect competition within the single market.
At the end of May 2013, Belgium, Hungary and Austria voted against the revised procedural regulation. Belgium abstained from the vote on the changes to the revised enabling regulation (see EUROPE 10856). (FG/transl.fl)