Commission clarifies scope of EU State aid rules to facilitate public investment

The EU Commission has published guidance when or whether public spending falls within, and outside, the scope of EU State aid control. This guidance will help public authorities and companies to identify when public support measures can be granted without needing approval under EU State aid rules.

The Notion of Aid Notice is the last part of the Commission’s State Aid Modernisation initiative, launched in 2012. As part of its State Aid Modernisation, the Commission has already updated all major State aid guidelines and simplified the rules so that unproblematic aid measures can be implemented without prior Commission scrutiny. The overall purpose is to provide legal certainty and cut red tape for public authorities and companies, and focus the Commission's resources on enforcing State aid rules in cases with the biggest impact on the Single Market.

The full text of the published guideance can be found here.