The European Commission has adopted an amendment to the Guidelines on Regional State Aid to allow Member States to grant higher amounts of regional aid for investment projects covered by the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’). The STEP Regulation, which entered into force on 1 March 2024, aims to boost the EU's industrial competitiveness and strategic autonomy by focusing on critical technologies, digital technologies, deep-tech innovation, and biotechnologies.
The amendment allows Member States to amend their regional aid maps to permit increased levels of regional aid for investment projects covered by the STEP by up to:
10 percentage points in the regions eligible for aid under Article 107(3)(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (so-called ‘a’ areas); and
5 percentage points in the regions eligible for aid under Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (so-called ‘c’ areas).
For further information, please see Commission’s Press Release