Nearly four years after the adoption of EU guidelines on state aid for environmental protection, the European Commission considers that i is time to take stock on the current situation and the results of their application. The conclusions drawn from this analysis will inform the draft of new guidelines in 2013.

The public consultation on the Community Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and environmental support measures in the General Block Exemption Regulation contains questions on general policies to support environmental protection as well as some specific issues related to the use and effectiveness of aid granted by Member states. It also contains some questions specifically related to the experience on the application of EU guidelines to these kind of state aid.

With this public consultation, the Commission intends to seek the views of stakeholders on how the guidelines on state aid for environmental protection have been applied since their adoption back in 2008. It also contains a series of questions related to the general block exemption regulation which is also under review. The consultation will run until October 23, 2012.

This review arises in the context of Commission's state aid modernisation initiative (SAM) adopted in May 2012. The purpose of this package is to ensure that state aid is properly designed and dedicated to address market failures by serving objectives of common interest within the European Union. It is also intended to serve as reinforcement for the single market and to facilitate decision-making. The process of reviewing and updating the guidelines on state aid is expected to completed by the end of 2013.