On Thursday 16 January, the European Commission invited interested parties to submit their comments on a draft Regulation aimed at prolonging the validity of existing EU State Aid rules applicable to the agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture sectors for one year.
These rules include the block exemption regulations applicable to State Aid in the agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture sectors and the regulation on de minimis aid for fisheries and aquaculture.
The Commission also invites interested parties to comment on a draft Commission Communication extending the EU guidelines for State Aid in the agriculture, forestry and aquaculture sectors for one year. These guidelines expire on 31 December 2020. The rules are currently being revised by the Commission.
CAP reform. The design of future State Aid rules will largely depend on the outcome of the ongoing reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Since the future legal frameworks of the CAP and the CFP are still in the process of being adopted, the Commission considers it necessary to extend the validity of the current State Aid rules beyond 31 January 2020. This will allow the Commission to complete its review of the rules after the adoption of the new CAP and CFP legal frameworks. Responses to the consultation can be submitted until 20 February 2020. Links to documents: https://bit.ly/38a1iQs (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)