European Commission 11 May 2021, COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT EVALUATION of the instruments applicable to State aid in the agricultural and foresty sectors and in rural areas

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This Commission Staff Working Document presents the results of the evaluation of the 2014 State aid framework for the agricultural and forestry sectors and rural areas, comprising Commission Regulation (EU) No 702/2014 (the Agricultural Block Exemption Regulation, ABER) and the 2014 Guidelines for State aid in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas, both set to expire on 31 December 2022. The evaluation assesses the framework against the five criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, and EU added value, concluding that the rules have largely achieved their objectives of minimising distortions of competition, ensuring legal certainty, and aligning State aid control with the Common Agricultural Policy's rural development objectives under Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013. The evaluation identifies residual shortcomings—including outdated eligibility conditions, unclear definitions, and limited scope of the ABER for certain forestry and risk-management measures—to be addressed in the forthcoming revision of the framework, which will also need to accommodate the objectives of the European Green Deal and the subsidiarity approach envisaged under the proposed CAP Strategic Plans Regulation.AI