The possibility for member countries to grant extraordinary state aid to cope with the Covid emergency by supporting all economic and social sectors affected by the effects of the pandemic will end on 30 June next.
This was announced today by the European Commission.
The measure adopted in March 2020 allowed national governments to obtain from Brussels, in derogation from the competition rules, the green light to grant aid for
a total of 3,000 billion, of which only 730 have actually been spent so far.
In announcing the end of the special state aid scheme, the Commission specified that, as already foreseen, the transitional rules will remain in force which provide for the possibility of supporting specific investments and measures to support the liquidation of companies up to respectively end of this year and end of 2023.
"The improvement in the economic situation linked to the lifting of the anti-Covid restrictions", said the EU Commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager, "is the main reason that led us to decide not to extend" the special temporary regime.
From March 2020 to today, the Commissioner recalled, Brussels "has adopted 1300 decisions" related to the effects of the pandemic, approving 950 national interventions ".
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