Overview
The General Block Exemption Regulation (‘GBER’) declares specific categories of State aid compatible with the internal market if they fulfil certain conditions. Such aid is exempt from the requirement of prior notification to, and approval by the Commission. This enables Member States to quickly provide aid, where conditions limiting the distortion of competition in the Single Market are met.
The Commission is reviewing the GBER, in line with the EU’s Competitiveness Compass and the Clean Industrial Deal. The aim is to cut red tape and promote necessary investments, while keeping a level playing field in the Single Market.
On 25 February 2026 the Commission has launched an 8-weeks public consultation to enable Member States and all interested persons and organisations to submit their comments on the draft for a new General Block Exemption Regulation. In addition to consulting the public, the Commission will discuss the draft for a new GBER in a meeting between the Commission and Member States.
The draft takes into account stakeholder views expressed in a broad Call for Evidence and public consultation, held in 2025.
The public consultation is accessible on the Commission’s website until 23 April 2026. The explanatory memorandum accompanying the draft GBER offers an overview of the most significant simplifications, updates and changes.
We encourage all public authorities, companies and other interested parties to participate in this very important consultation.
Next Steps
The Commission will analyse stakeholder views and opinions of Member States, and where necessary, will revise the draft. The adoption of the revised GBER is planned for the end of 2026, with the entry into force on 1 January 2027.
Background to this initiative
Under Article 108(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, Member States must notify the European Commission of any plans to grant State aid and await Commission approval before putting the aid into effect. The General Block Exemption Regulation (EU) 651/2014 (‘GBER’) exempts specific categories of State aid from the requirement of prior notification and Commission approval if they fulfil certain conditions.
The GBER entered into force in 2014. Since then, it has become the most important part of EU State aid rules. In 2024, Member States reported providing aid under 6 509 GBER measures, representing 69% of all active measures, compared to 41% in 2014. Over time, the Commission has kept the GBER up to date. The most recent amendment, in 2023, gave Member States more flexibility to support sectors that are key for the transition to climate neutrality and to a net-zero industry.
Read more information on the GBER, its legal basis and past amendments over time.
The review will seek to reduce the administrative burden of Member States and undertakings, as well as to reduce implementation difficulties or errors and to give Member States more flexibility in designing support measures. This includes a review of the current rules for social enterprises, training and employment aid, following up on 'The Action Plan for the Social Economy' (2021) and 'The Union of Skills' (2025), as well as a review the rules for aid for affordable and energy-efficient housing, complementary to the review of the State aid rules on the Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI). Finally, the initiative aims to streamline the GBER by addressing inconsistencies, improving readability through changes in the structure and by clarifying existing provisions.