On 14 July 2025, the European Commission announced it was conducting a Call for Evidence and public consultation to seek input on the scope and content of its review of the General Block Exemption Regulation (“GBER”). The deadline to reply to the Commission questionnaire is 6 October 2025.
The GBER allows Member States to declare certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market without prior notification to the European Commission, provided that they comply with the general and specific conditions set out in the GBER. The GBER, which has been in force since 2014, has already been revised several times, notably in 2017 to include new categories of aid for ports and airports and in 2021 to include, among other things, financing and investment operations supported by the InvestEU fund, European territorial cooperation (ETC) projects (also known as Interreg) and new block exemptions for the European Innovation Partnership for agricultural productivity and sustainability (EIP-AGRI) and operational group projects or community-led local development (CLLD) projects. The amendments adopted in 2023 granted more flexibility to design and implement support measures in sectors that are key for the transition to climate neutrality and a net-zero emissions industry.
Unfortunately, the various amendments and revisions have rendered the application of the GBER complex for public authorities, especially for categories of aid relating to the protection of the environment and energy
Initially in force until the end of 2020 and extended to the end of 2023 due to the pandemic, the application of the GBER amendments has been extended until the end of 2026.
The purpose of the European Commission’s Call for Evidence and public consultation is to produce a revised GBER to replace the current one in 2027. A Call for Evidence is an open invitation to gather feedback, insights and data from citizens, stakeholders and experts before drafting or revising EU legislation or policies. The procedure will identify problems and policy needs and test initial ideas and possible solutions before presenting them officially. The Commission’s aim is to reduce red tape for businesses as well as for Member States and facilitate necessary support for industry.
The feedback will help the Commission to explore the scope for reducing the administrative burden for businesses, harmonise State aid rules and speed up the assessment of aid measures while ensuring that the compatibility conditions remain in line with the EU’s Competitiveness Compass and the Clean Industrial Deal.
You can find the questionnaire here.
