State aid modernisation: Workshop, Brussels, 25 September 2012

The European Commission, on 8 May 2012, published in a communication its intention to modernise the rules governing the assessment of State aid. With a view to contribute to the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy and budgetary consolidation, the objectives of the modernisation of State aid control are threefold: to foster sustainable, smart and inclusive growth in a competitive internal market; to focus Commission ex ante scrutiny on cases with the biggest impact on the Internal Market, whilst strengthening the Member States' cooperation in State aid enforcement; to streamline the rules and provide for faster decisions.

The workshop, which took place in Brussels on 25 September 2012, aimed to set the ground for the upcoming discussions on the modernisation package in the ECON committee.