Fitness Check of the 2012 State aid modernisation package, railways guidelines and short-term export credit insurance

Summary:

Staff Working Document (SWD) published by the European Commission on 28 October 2020, setting out the results of an evaluation of the State aid rules adopted as part of the State Aid Modernisation package.

Further information:

The assessment concludes that the State aid control system and rules are overall fit for purpose. However, individual rules are to require revisions, including clarifications, further streamlining and simplification, as well as adjustments to reflect more recent legislative developments, existing priorities, changes in markets and technology developments.

The evaluation was launched in January 2019. It took the form of a fitness check, comprising internal analyses by the Commission and public consultations as well as, in some cases, studies prepared by external consultants or targeted consultations of specific stakeholders. The exercise covered the following rules, which were adopted as part of the State Aid Modernisation:

• General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER)
• De minimis Regulation
• Guidelines on regional State aid
• Framework for State aid for research and development and innovation (RDI)
• Communication on important projects of common European interest (IPCEI)
• Guidelines on State aid to promote risk finance investments
• Guidelines on State aid to airports and airlines
• Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy
• Guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring

It also covered the 2008 Railways Guidelines and the 2012 Short term export credit Communication. Those rules were not revised as part of the State Aid Modernisation, but an evaluation was relevant in the light of developments in EU law and the Commission's case practice.

Official

EUR-Lex: SWD(2020)258: Staff Working Document accompanying the SWD - Executive Summary of the Fitness Check https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2020:258:FIN

European Commission: DG Competition: Fitness Check of the 2012 State aid modernisation package, railways guidelines and short-term export credit insurance https://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/modernisation/fitness_check_en.html

European Commission: Press Release, 30/10/2020: State aid: Commission publishes results of evaluation of EU State aid rules https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_2008

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