Search

3.149. Currently, various state aid guidelines and regulations, including the GBER [the State Aid General Block Exemption Regulation] and the De minimis regulation, are undergoing review to be updated. The adoption of these two legal instruments is expected during 2023, according to the Commission. The review was launched following the completion of an evaluation – the "fitness check" – of the SAM [the State Aid Modernisation] reform launched by the Commission in 2019. This assessment found that some specific changes to these exemptions are needed to integrate the objectives of the European Green Deal and the European Industrial and Digital Strategies.

3.150. (...) Pending the completion of its review, the current GBER [the State Aid General Block Exemption Regulation] was amended in 2021 to, inter alia, expand its coverage to include state aid granted for projects funded by certain EU managed programmes (e.g. InvestEU Fund, Horizon Europe) (Table 3.25) and state aid measures designed to support the green and digital transition, and that also contribute to the economic recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g. aid for energy-efficiency projects in buildings, (...)

3.151. In October 2022, the European Commission also published a revised framework regarding state aid for research, development, and innovation (RDI) activities. This new RDI framework simplifies and updates the existing rules, in place since 2014, and aligns them to the current EU objectives, notably those under the European Green Deal and the Industrial and Digital Strategies (Section 2). (...)

3.154. Non-COVID state aid increased by about 2.5% between 2019 and 2020, totalling 137.5 billion in 2020, and continued to be mainly directed to promote environmental protection and energy savings. In that year, state aid based on environmental considerations accounted for about half (EUR 68.7 billion) of the total non-COVID state aid, and was the main aid objective for the majority of EU member States. (...)

3.164. (...) As part of the European Green Deal (Section 2), the European Union is also promoting the development of green taxation, which includes taxes on energy, transport, pollution and resources.

3.168. During the review period, the European Union identified standardization as a key strategic tool to achieve its objectives under the European Green Deal, as well as under its new digital, industrial, and trade strategies (Section 2.1). To complement these strategies (and as provided in its Industrial Strategy), the European Union launched in February 2022 a new strategy on standardization entitled "Setting global standards in support of a resilient, green and digital EU single market". (...) In addition, during the review period the European Union continued its work in promoting the development of environmental (e.g. hydrogen, critical raw materials in batteries) and digital standards (e.g. artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and chips).

3.177. In addition, labelling and other marking requirements may apply to certain non-food products, regardless of whether they are subject to the CE [conformité européenne] mark. These requirements apply equally to both imported and locally produced goods based on health, safety, or environmental considerations, and include energy rating labels, safety labels for toys and chemicals substances, and markings for waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) for electrical appliances. Labelling requirements also apply to textiles, footwear, and cosmetics. Since July 2021, plastic cups and certain sanitary and tobacco products are also subject to a single-use plastic marking based on waste management and environmental grounds.

3.180. (...) From 1 October 2019 to 31 December 2022, the European Union made 261 new regular TBT notifications (and 40 revisions and corrigenda). These measures covered, inter alia, food, chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, electrical and electronic equipment, cosmetics, vehicles, and construction materials, and were mostly based on health, safety, and environmental considerations. (...)

3.193. These regulations are complemented by other EU legal instruments containing requirements to be applied throughout the European Union and covering, inter alia, food and feed hygiene, labelling, food contact materials and packaging, food and feed additives, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), organic food, and residues of pharmacologically active substances (used in veterinary medicines), pesticides, and contaminants.

3.194. Moreover, in May 2020 the Commission adopted the Farm to Fork Strategy to support the ongoing reform process and the EU sustainability objectives. The Strategy is considered a key component of the European Green Deal and has some implications for the EU SPS regime. The Strategy identifies the areas of action to achieve a sustainable EU food system and comprises an action plan for the period 2020-24 that provides for, inter alia, the reform of the legislation on feed additives, pesticides, food contact materials, plant protection, animal welfare, and marketing standards for agricultural and fishery (including aquaculture) products. As part of this action plan, the Commission is also expected to propose new legislation to extend the scope of the requirement on origin labelling, introduce a standardized mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling, and establish a sustainable food labelling framework to inform consumers about the sustainability aspects of food products. This strategy also sets EU targets for reducing the use of chemical pesticides (and their risk), antimicrobials, and fertilizers by 2030 [253] , and foresees to integrate environmental considerations in the assessment requests for import tolerances for pesticides not approved in the European Union. As announced in the Strategy, the Commission plans to present a new legislative framework for sustainable food systems in 2023 to, inter alia, incorporate sustainability in all food-related policies, as well as a proposal for the setting of EU-level targets for food waste reduction.
[253] Under the Strategy, the European Union intends to reduce by 50% the use and risk of chemical pesticides by 2030, by 50% the use of more hazardous pesticides, (...)