Press Release: Commission adopts group exemptions for State aid

The European Commission has adopted three exemption regulations concerning State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), training aid and the 'de minimis' rule respectively. The regulations will exempt these categories of aid from the requirement of prior notification. In future, Member States can grant aid fulfilling all the conditions of the regulations without prior approval by the Commission. The regulations have been adopted after a broad consultation of Member States and third parties. Competition Commissioner Mario Monti said: 'This is a further important step in our efforts to modernise and make more efficient the Community's competition rules. The new regulations have clear advantages for business, for Member States and also for the Commission. It is the first time that the Commission uses block exemptions in the field of State aid. However, we are in no way relaxing our policy, quite to the contrary: the new rules will improve the possibilities of State aid control also at the national level.'

• Primary Source

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/state_aid/legislation/ http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/state_aid/legislation/

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