BRUSSELS, February 25, 2026 – The European Commission has launched a public consultation on a draft revised General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), inviting Member States and other interested parties to submit comments by 23 April 2026.
The GBER defines specific categories of State aid that are compatible with EU rules if certain conditions are met and exempts them from prior notification and approval by the Commission. This enables Member States to grant aid more quickly, provided that safeguards limiting distortions of competition in the Single Market are respected.
According to the Commission, the revised GBER is intended to reduce administrative burden, simplify interpretation and application, and reflect current social, market and technological developments. A new regulation will be proposed before the current GBER expires on 31 December 2026.
The draft represents the most comprehensive update since the GBER entered into force and includes a range of proposed changes. These include simplified conditions for small amounts of aid for specific projects such as research and development (R&D) or environmental protection, regardless of company size, and improved access to aid for small mid-caps and social enterprises.
The proposal also aims to address the needs of SMEs more effectively through more flexible risk-finance instruments and favourable tax treatment of share options and warrants for employees. Aid for social enterprises would become more accessible.
Under the draft, operating aid for renewable energy would be simplified and allowed on a larger scale, with the removal of the current €300 million annual overall budget cap for such schemes, while maintaining a cap per beneficiary.
The revised rules would also provide updated provisions to address the housing crisis, including higher aid intensities for energy-efficiency measures in social or affordable housing and for social enterprises providing housing.
Further changes include updated rules to stimulate R&D and innovation, making young innovative firms with weak equity bases eligible for aid, and facilitating support for innovation clusters, research infrastructure and testing facilities. The proposal also provides stronger incentives for training and reskilling workers, particularly in digital and STEM skills.
Agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture would become eligible for most aid categories under the GBER, offering Member States the option to grant aid under the general framework or sector-specific block exemptions.
The draft also introduces clearer and more flexible rules for airport aid, increases the size of airports eligible for operating aid, clarifies the compatibility of financial instruments handled by intermediaries such as banks or investment funds, and allows the use of simplified cost options such as flat-rate financing or lump sums. In addition, the obligation to evaluate large-budget aid schemes would be abolished.
The draft regulation will be discussed with Member States in parallel to the public consultation, which closes on 23 April 2026. Adoption of the revised GBER is planned by the end of 2026.
The Commission noted that Member States implemented 6,509 aid measures under the GBER in 2024, representing 69% of all active measures, compared to 41% in 2014 when the regulation entered into force.
Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition Teresa Ribera said the new draft GBER would reduce administrative burden and simplify legislation, making it easier and faster for Member States to boost competitiveness without waiting for State aid approval, and encouraged public authorities, companies and other stakeholders to participate in the consultation.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_453
