Public consultation on ammendments to the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER)

The European Commission opened a new public consultation on certain proposed amendments to the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER).

The purpose of the proposed revision is to reflect the changes to various sets of State aid Guidelines, which are currently being reviewed and to further facilitate public support for the EU's green and digital transition.

The GBER declares specific categories of State aid compatible with the Treaty, provided that they fulfil certain conditions, and exempts these categories from the requirement of prior notification to and approval by the Commission.

The new rules will help set the right foundations for a sustainable economy in a time of recovery from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Concerning aid for research, development and innovation, the aim is to simplify the conditions for granting research, development and innovation aid without prior notification and approval, for example by including the possibility to calculate indirect costs of R&D projects through a simplified cost approach and the introduction of new compatibility rules for support to testing and experimentation infrastructures (sometimes also referred to as “technology infrastructures”).

Member States and other interested parties can respond to the consultation until 8 December 2021.

The adoption of the revised GBER is planned for the first half of 2022.

 

More information can be found in the official press release.