On Friday 23 June, the European Commission announced the formal adoption of a targeted amendment to the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) aimed at facilitating support for the green and digital transition in a number of sectors, in line with the new Industrial Plan of the ‘European Green Deal’ (see EUROPE 13112/1).
The updated GBER was approved by the Commission on Thursday 9 March (see EUROPE 13138/2), the same day as the adoption of the new temporary crisis and transition framework (see EUROPE 13138/1).
The GBER declares certain categories of State aid to be compatible with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, subject to certain conditions. The categories of measures concerned are therefore exempt from the obligation of prior notification and approval by the Commission.
For these categories, Member States will be able to grant aid measures more quickly and inform the Commission only after this stage.
The new rules should, among other things, make it easier for Member States to adopt aid measures in the field of environmental protection and energy to support, in particular, the deployment of renewable energies, decarbonisation projects, green mobility and biodiversity.
The aid intensities and notification thresholds for certain cross-border projects involving beneficiaries from several Member States in research and development projects have also been raised.
Training and retraining opportunities are also being extended.
Link to the communication of 9 March: https://aeur.eu/f/7oj (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)