European Commission amends the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER)

According to Art. 108 par. 3 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, EU members must inform the European Commission of any state aid and cannot implement projects without approval. The General Block Exemption Regulation(GBER) defines categories that do not have to be notified in advance and do not require approval.

On March 9, 2023. Amendments have been made to the GBER regulation to accelerate investment and financing in the area of cleantech development and digitization in Europe, while protecting the level playing field in the single market. The changes give member states more freedom to introduce support measures in sectors crucial to the transition to climate and carbon neutrality. They will thus accelerate investment and development in the clean technology sector in Europe.

Changes made:

• enhance and streamline the ability to provide assistance in the area of environment and energy, including with the introduction of renewable energy, decarbonization projects, green mobility and biodiversity, as well as facilitating investment in renewable hydrogen and increasing energy efficiency;
• facilitate the implementation of projects involving beneficiaries from several member states by increasing aid intensity and mandatory notification thresholds;
• Increase opportunities for training and retraining activities in all sectors by exempting training aid below €3 million from notification;
• group exempt aid measures introduced by member states to regulate the price of electricity, gas and heat produced using natural gas or electricity;
• raise the thresholds for mandatory notification of environmental aid and aid for research, technological development and innovation (RDI);
• clarify and simplify opportunities for risk financing assistance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, as well as for financial products supported under the InvestEU Fund,
• extend the GBER until the end of 2026 to ensure legal certainty and stability;
• bring GBER regulations into line with the new guidelines on:
  • regional aid;
  • State aid for climate and environmental protection;
  • energy-related goals;
  • risk financing;
  • Framework for state aid for research, development and innovation activities;
  • broadband networks.