Agriculture: State aid: Commission approves EUR 300 million Romanian scheme to support agri-food entities in the context of the coronavirus pandemic

The European Commission has approved a Romanian scheme worth EUR 300 million (RON 1.5 billion) to support agri-food entities in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework. Under the scheme, the public support will take the form of direct grants of up to EUR 120.000 (RON 593.000) per beneficiary.

It will be accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises active in agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and the food industry. The measure aims at mitigating the liquidity shortages faced by these companies and addressing part of their losses due to the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictive measures that the Romanian authorities had to implement to contain the spread of the virus.

The Commission found that the Romanian scheme is in line with the conditions of the Temporary Framework.

In particular, the aid shall: (I) will not exceed EUR 2,3 million per beneficiary; and (ii) shall be granted until 30 June 2022. The Commission concluded that the measure is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State, in accordance with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the scheme under EU State aid rules.

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