The European Commission has launched a public consultation inviting all interested parties to comment on its proposal to amend the Guidelines on regional state aid in order to keep them up to date.
The proposed amendments
The guidelines set out the legal framework governing the granting of state aid for regional development and territorial cohesion. Their aim is to promote the economic development of disadvantaged regions in the EU, whilst ensuring a level playing field between Member States. These guidelines are an important tool used by Member States to drive regional development.
In this context, the guidelines also set out the criteria that Member States must use to identify areas eligible for regional aid. These areas are approved by the Commission in the regional aid maps. The current regional aid maps expire at the end of 2027.
In making the amendments, the Commission took account of regional socio-economic development, based on the most recent data, when identifying the relevant areas for the period 2028–2034, as well as the specific challenges facing the EU’s eastern regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, as identified in thecommunication on the eastern regions.
The Commission welcomes contributions from all stakeholders, in particular from national and regional authorities that award grants. Stakeholders are invited to respond to thepublic consultationon thedraft Guidelinesby 30 September 2026.
Next steps
The proposed text of the guidelines will also be discussed at a multilateral meeting between the Commission and the Member States.
The amended guidelines are expected to be adopted by the end of 2026 to give Member States sufficient time to prepare and notify their regional aid maps, which will come into force in 2028.
Background
The guidelines set out the conditions under which regional aid may be considered permissible under EU state aid rules and establish the criteria for identifying areas that meet the conditions of Article 107 (3) (a) and (c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. The guidelines also contain rules that Member States can use to draw up regional aid maps to identify the geographical areas in which businesses may receive regional state aid and the amount of such aid.
The current regional aid maps apply from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2027. In order for Member States to be able to grant regional aid beyond 2027, new regional aid maps must be drawn up.
In addition to the consultation with stakeholders launching today, the Commission issued arequest for informationearlier this year.
Objectives
“Our proposal to amend the state aid rules on regional aid ensures that support is targeted at the regions where it is most needed, whilst ensuring a level playing field in the Single Market. We invite all stakeholders to share their views.” – Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition
More information: European Commission
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