Press Release: State aid: Commission simplifies procedures for approving regional aid with new block exemption Regulation

The European Commission has adopted under EC Treaty state aid rules a new block exemption Regulation for regional investment aid (aid which promotes the economic development of disadvantaged regions). Member States will no longer have to notify regional investment aid schemes to the Commission if they fulfil the conditions set out in the Regulation. The Regulation is based on the new Guidelines for regional aid 2007-2013 which were adopted in December 2005 and which are in line with EU cohesion policy and European Council requests for less and better targeted state aid (see IP/05/1653 and MEMO/05/491). The Commission has also adopted new notification forms for regional aid schemes that do not meet the conditions of the new Regulation and thus still have to be notified individually to the Commission for endorsement prior to their implementation.