Press Release: Commission moves towards reform of State aid rules on Services of general economic interest

The communication on the revision of European Union State aid rules on Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI) and the report on their application, adopted by the Commission, show that these rules, also known as the 2005 post-Altmark package, have brought increased legal certainty for Member States and for the service providers.

The principles on which they are based, that the public service obligation is clearly defined and the compensation commensurate with its cost plus a reasonable profit, have proved their worth. The revision of the SGEI package due in November this year shows, nevertheless, that certain aspects would gain from being further clarified and the rules further simplified for what concerns small amounts of aid and regarding compensation for social services. The Commission also considers increasing the link between costs and efficiency and quality of services for large commercial activities, such as those of network industries with a clear EU-wide dimension.