Application of Articles 93, 107 and 108 of the TFEU to certain categories of State aid in the rail, inland waterway and multimodal transport sector

The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs adopted the report by Eva Maria POPTCHEVA (Renew, ES) on the proposal for a Council regulation on the application of Articles 93, 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to certain categories of State aid in the rail, inland waterway and multimodal transport sector.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament approve, unamended, the Commission proposal.

The Transport Enabling Regulation allows the Commission to adopt block exemption regulations for aid to rail and inland waterway transport and to multimodal transport with the objective of promoting green transport. It was adopted by the European Commission on 6 July 2022, in the context of the revision of the State aid Railway Guidelines.

This proposal identifies two categories of aid exempted from the notification requirement of Article 108(3) TFEU: the first category concerns aid for the coordination of transport and, secondly, aid for the reimbursement for the discharge of certain obligations inherent in the concept of a public service. These categories fall under the scope of Article 93 TFEU.

Furthermore, the proposed Regulation indicates the elements (such as the purpose of the aid) that the Commission will specify in its subsequent Regulations to block-exempt from notification under Article 108(3) TFEU on the above referred to categories of aid.