Press Release: State aid: Commission approves regional aid maps 2007-2013 for Belgium and Denmark

The European Commission has approved under EC Treaty state aid rules the regional aid maps covering the period 2007-2013 for Belgium and Denmark. These decisions form part of a wider exercise to review the regional aid regimes in place in all Member States in accordance with the new Regional Aid Guidelines (see IP/05/1653 and MEMO/05/491) adopted in December 2005. The new Guidelines aim at re-focussing regional aid on the most disadvantaged regions of the enlarged EU, while allowing to improve competitiveness and to provide for a smooth transition. The maps of twenty-two other Member States have already been approved by the Commission (see IP/06/1176, IP/06/1393, IP/06/1451, IP/06/1528, IP/06/1871 and IP/07/153).