Task Force on State Aid Rules for R&D&I

 

The task force on State Aid Rules for R&D&I was established for years 2012-2013 on the revision of the EU R&D&I framework. The target of the task force is to influence the process and the changing rules so that the revised state aid rules for R&D&I allow all appropriate policy measures for enhancing innovation. Through the work of the task force, the experiences of TAFTIE members of application of rules in practice can be taken into account in the revision of the R&D&I framework.

 

The current Community Framework for State Aid for Research and Development and Innovation (hereafter R&D&I framework) is in force until 31.12.2013. Most of the provisions of the current R&D&I framework are included in the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) which is in force until 31.12.2013.

 

Work performed in 2012

 

The first step of the TAFTIE task force was to prepare comments to the open consultation on R&D&I Framework, published by the Commission in December 2011. The deadline for comments was 24th February 2012. The task force had its first meeting in Brussels on 15^th of February and TAFTIE’s comment to the consultation was prepared based on the discussion in the meeting as well as the work of the previous TAFTIE state aid task force that submitted its proposal to the Commission in March 2011.

 

The task force arranged its next meeting 20th June in Brussels, where it had an internal morning session and an afternoon discussion with representatives of the Commission DGs Research, Competition and Enterprise. A background paper was prepared and sent to the attendants prior to the meeting. The discussion was fruitful and the representatives of the Commission shared the most important views presented by the task force and found new openings interesting and worth of further discussion.

 

After summer, the task force prepared a more detailed comment paper based on the discussion in June as well as Jari Romanainen's visit to the Commission during the spring and summer. The paper was submitted to the Commission in the beginning of November.

 

In its comments, the task force concentrated especially on the following issues:

• There should be definite rules on how the aid intensity of different in struments is calculated, especially in case of indirect and reimbursable aid instruments;
• Conditions should be defined under which public procurement of innovation is considered not to include state aid;
• The rules should provide guidelines under which conditions access to publicly funded research infrastructure may or may not be subject to state aid;
• It should be possible to treat organisations facilitating open innovation and other (new) forms of R&D&I collaboration like research organisations on certain conditions;
• Technological and non-technological R&D&I should be treated equally;
• Smaller specific aid instruments should be replaced by a new innovation aid that would be similar to de minimis aid;
• Tresholds of SME definition should be higher in R&D&I aid.
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• Work performed and plans 2013
   
• Some task force member attended  the workshop by the Commission on state aid for R&D&I in Brussels on 9th January. Jari Romanainen was one of the speakers.  
  The task force finalized its comment paper in March and the paper was submitted to the Commission.
  The first draft of GBER was published in May 2013.
  The first draft of the new framework is expected to be published for consultation in the summer 2013.
  The task force shall comment the drafts and communicate with the Commission through visits and e-mails in order to influence the rules under revision.
  The new framework and GBER should enter into force in the beginning of 2014.

 

You can download here:

 

Taftie's discussion paper: reforming the EU R&D&I State Aid Framework, March 2013

TAFTIE’s comments to the Commission consultation

 

Previous state aid task force: TAFTIE proposals for the renewal of State Aid Rules for RDI

 

Task force Members

Maija Lönnqvist, Tekes
Jari Romanainen, Tekes
Geert Baarsma, Nl Agency
Ofelia Alvarez, CDTI
Eve Pakkas, Enterprise Estonia
Eoghan Hanrahan, Enterprise Ireland
Daniela Fabits, FFG
Maarten Sileghem, IWT
Ricardas Valanciauskas, MITA
Sylvie Cogneau, OSEO
Monika Konikowska-Wojcik, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP)
Karol Tadrzak, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP)
Line Hallenstvedt Bjørvik, Research Council Norway (RCN)
Sverre Sogge, Research Council Norway (RCN)
Martin Kobert, Technology Agency Czech Republic (TACR)
Alexander Hantosi, Vinnova