Parliament voted in the first reading in favor of a draft law on state aid, which will bring national legislation in this area into line with the European Union’s acquis communautaire.
The document, prepared by the Competition Council, aims to create a level playing field, prevent market distortions, and optimize the mechanisms for granting state aid.
The draft introduces new procedures into the state aid process, similar to those applied in the European Union, including a prior notification procedure, a simplified notification procedure, ex post assessment of state aid schemes, as well as mechanisms for monitoring and recovering unlawful or incompatible aid.
Thus, providers of state aid will be able to initiate preliminary consultations with the Competition Council. These consultations will be voluntary and confidential and will help clarify the presence of state aid elements or the compatibility of support measures.
To ensure effective monitoring of the aid granted, the draft establishes the circumstances under which an ex post assessment of state aid schemes will be required. The document also regulates the procedure for recovering incompatible state aid.
To ensure transparency, the Competition Council will publish on its official website information on individual cases of state aid exceeding the equivalent of 100,000 euros.
At the same time, a Central Register of De Minimis Aid will be established as part of the automated information system “State Aid Register.” It will provide centralized record-keeping of data on small amounts of financial support provided to enterprises, ensuring transparency and compliance with the limits established by law.
According to the draft, an enterprise will be able to receive de minimis aid of up to 300,000 euros over a three-year period. For services of general economic interest, the ceiling will be 750,000 euros over the same period, and for the agricultural sector, 50,000 euros.
The draft law also regulates the procedure for investigating cases of illegal or improper use of aid and establishes statutes of limitations in line with European standards. At the same time, decisions by the Competition Council may be appealed in court and will be reviewed by the Chisinau Court of Appeals.
The draft law on state aid will be considered by Parliament in its second reading.
