On Monday 16 March, the European Commission adopted new State aid Land and Multimodal Transport Guidelines, together with a Block Exemption Regulation.
This update to the EU’s State aid framework, introduced in 2008, aims to support more sustainable modes of transport, for both passengers and freight. These instruments will enter into force on Monday 30 March. The regulation will remain in force until 31 December 2034. The guidelines have no expiry date.
The new guidelines define the conditions under which State aid, which must be notified to the Commission for approval before it can be granted, may be declared compatible with the internal market. They cover all modes of land transport that are more sustainable than road transport, including rail, inland waterways and sustainable multimodal transport. They clarify the possibilities for a number of operating and investment aid measures, as well as the possibilities for aid in the form of reimbursement for performing public service obligations in the rail freight sector. They also introduce more flexible rules for aid measures contributing to the ecological and digital transitions and safeguards to support the entry and growth of new operators in sustainable land transport markets.
The regulation supplements the guidelines by exempting certain categories of aid in the rail, inland waterway and sustainable multimodal transport sectors from the requirement of prior notification to and approval by the Commission.
Further information: https://aeur.eu/f/l7g (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)