What is the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER)?
GBER stands for General Block Exemption Regulation. It is an EU regulation that permits Member States to award specific forms of public support directly, bypassing the need for prior notification and authorization by the European Commission.
By streamlining the granting of state aid (such as subsidies), GBER helps advance key European Union priorities, including employment generation and economic competitiveness. Furthermore, it effectively reduces the administrative workload for both private businesses and public sector bodies.
What are block exemptions?
Block exemptions define specific categories and forms of aid that are presumed to be compatible with the EU internal market. Provided all specified conditions are satisfied, subsidy providers can grant aid without individual assessment or approval by the Commission.
GBER specifically covers the following areas:
- Regional aid
- Port aid
- Training aid
- Aid for regional airports
- Support for local infrastructure
- Research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) aid
- European Territorial Cooperation support
- Environmental protection aid
- Broadband infrastructure aid
- Culture and heritage conservation aid
- Aid for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- Social aid for passenger transport in remote regions
- Risk finance aid to improve SME access to funding
- Aid for sports and multifunctional recreational infrastructures
- Aid to compensate for damage caused by natural disasters
- Support for disadvantaged workers and employees with disabilities
- Aid embedded in financial products backed by the InvestEU Fund
Certain sectors are subject to special rules under GBER, such as primary agricultural production, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture.
Which aid types are excluded from GBER?
Categories of assistance that present a higher risk of distorting competition within the internal market are excluded from the scope of GBER. This includes export aid and aid provided to undertakings in difficulty.
What conditions does GBER impose on state aid?
To grant subsidies or other forms of support under GBER, providers must comply with strict criteria that the European Commission routinely verifies. A key requirement is respecting the maximum allowable aid intensity, which is determined either by:
- a percentage share of aid relative to total eligible costs, or
- the net difference between eligible investment costs and the resulting operating profit.
Additionally, GBER sets specific absolute financial ceilings tailored to each aid category.
