The European Commission has launched a targeted public consultation inviting all interested parties to comment on the proposed revision of the Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy. These guidelines aim to help Member States meet their ambitious EU energy and climate targets, at the least possible cost for taxpayers and without undue distortions of competition in the Single Market. This short period of two months is due to the necessity to accelerate the revision of the Guidelines to ensure a timely adoption as part of measures undertaken taken in response to the challenges in achieving the objectives of the Green Deal.
All citizens and organisations are welcome to contribute to this consultation. Contributions are particularly sought from (i) Member States and their aid granting authorities, (ii) business associations and companies operating in the European single market, (iii) legal and economic practitioners, as well as (iv) consumer and environmental organisations.
The consultation aims to enlarge the scope of the Guidelines to new areas and all technologies that can deliver the Green Deal and make compatibility rules more flexible. This wider scope of the Guidelines needs to be accompanied by safeguards to ensure that the aid is effectively directed where it is needed to improve environmental protection, is limited to what is needed to achieve the environmental goals and does not distort competition or the integrity of the internal market.
Moreover, the Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager said that Europe needs more sustainable investments underlining that the public sector plays an important role ensuring that the green transition will get developed quick. Therefore, it is important to have rules on State aid in these fields ready and fit for this transition, achieving the environmental objectives of the European Green Deal. This requires the cooperation of stakeholders.
You can submit your point of views about the guidelines in an easy way. For further information click here. Should you need some help or more information on this topic, please contact our colleague Julia COLOMER
