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State Aid Control Commissioner Stella Michailidou reports that her Office participated on 3 June 2024 in Brussels in the High Level Forum, which is held by the European Commission on an annual basis to announce policies, rules and measures in the field of State aid, based on the experience gained by the European Commission and Member States from the implementation of the rules and developments/challenges in the EU economy and at international level.
The High Level Forum was attended by Mr Bernardus Smulders, Deputy Director General of the Directorate-General for Competition and Ms Margethe Vetsager, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Competition.
Representing Cyprus, our Office participated in the High Level Forum with Mr. Ioannis Ioannou, Officer of the Office.
As conclusions of the meeting, based on the individual speeches and closing remarks, the following are noted:
a) the objective of autonomy and resilience of the EU economy to face future challenges,
b) the granting of aid based on the "fit for purpose" principle (public aid when there is market failure/unwillingness to support an objective/activity/project of common interest/development by setting the support at the minimum necessary level,
(c) priority issues are energy costs, critical raw materials (critical raw materials - security of equipments sectors), development in the pharmaceutical sector, defence industry/technology, and affordable housing,
d) the implementation of the Temporary Frameworks to deal with the crises of pandemic COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine is considered successful (these frameworks were prepared and put in place in a short period of time, approvals were given in a short period of time, several billions were allocated for business recovery with positive results, and the Interim Framework for Ukraine provided and provided a transition framework for a cleaner economy and decarbonisation),
e) these Frameworks could, in terms of their structure and the simplification of approval and implementation procedures, could constitute best practice or a model for the future development of the General Block Exemption Regulation and other State aid rules,
f) the EU legislation specifically mentioned is the Commission Communication on Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs), which suggests further initiatives, in particular in the fields of technology and the involvement of SMEs, and the Foreign Subsidies Regulation with reference to first notificationsχ. in the US or other countries,
i) the resolution of issues arising from different national administrative approval and control procedures and from economic specificities between Member States,
j) the formulation of rules, to ensure a level playing field between companies and to address race subsidies between Member States,
k) a number of State aid rules will expire in the coming years and their new formulation will take into account the above-mentioned parameters as well as suggestions from Member States.
(EAT/NYAN)
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