On 19 October the adopted revised Communication on State aid rules for research, development and innovation (‘2022 RDI Framework’) was published, setting out the rules under which Member States can grant State aid to companies for RDI activities, while ensuring a level playing field.
This adoption of the 2022 RDI Framework follows an extensive evaluation of the existing rules launched in 2019. The evaluation included contributions from Member States, business and research associations, interest groups and companies, NGOs, and citizens.
The revised RDI Framework includes a number of targeted adjustments (i) to simplify and reflect the experience gained from the application of the 2014 RDI Framework, (ii) to reflect regulatory, economic and technological developments, and (iii) to align the relevant rules to the current EU policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the Industrial and Digital Strategies.
In particular, the targeted amendments:
- Update the existing definitions of research and innovation activities eligible for support under the RDI Framework. In particular, the amendments clarify their applicability with respect to digital technologies and activities related to digitalisation (e.g. super-computing, quantum technologies, block chain, artificial intelligence, cyber security, big data and cloud or edge computing). This aims at providing legal certainty to Member States and stakeholders, while facilitating RDI investments that will enable the digital transformation in the EU.
- Enable public support for testing and experimentation infrastructures required to develop, test and upscale technologies. This aims at further enabling the swift development and eventual deployment of cutting edge and breakthrough technologies, in particular by small and medium-sized enterprises, while facilitating the green and digital transition of the EU economy, and contributing to the new European Innovation Agenda.
- Simplify certain rules in order to facilitate the practical application of the RDI Framework and to alleviate possible excessive administrative burden for companies and public authorities. For example, the new rules introduce a simplified mechanism to determine the indirect costs of research and development projects that are eligible for support under State aid rules.
Please click here to download the revised document: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/