The regional aid map of Greece was approved with increased by 5-25% percentages

The map of Greece for the granting of regional aid from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2027 under the revised Regional Aid Guidelines (“CAP”), approved by the European Commission, in accordance with EU rules on state aid .

Regional state aid for the period 2022-2027 is increased by 5-25% compared to the rates in force in the previous period, with the new rates potentially reaching up to 60% for large companies, 70% for medium and 80 % for small businesses.

With the revised RAG approved by the Commission on 19 April 2021 and entered into force on 1 January 2022, Greece has increased capacity to support 12 of the 13 Regions:

– to catch up with the European average and reduce inequalities in terms of economic prosperity, income and unemployment – cohesion objectives at the heart of the Union

– as well as to address transitional or structural challenges, such as population decline, to fully contribute to the green and digital transition.

Eligible for regional investment aid are the Regions of North Aegean, South Aegean, Crete, Eastern Macedonia-Thrace, Central Macedonia, Western Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, Ionian Islands, Western Greece, Stereo Greece and Central Greece. In the specific Regions the maximum aid intensities are set, depending on the GDP per capita, between 30-50% for large enterprises.

As far as Attica is concerned, they are defined as maximum aid intensities for large companies
in the Western Sector of Athens 15%,
-in Eastern Attica, Western Attica and in Piraeus / Islands 25%.

In all the above areas, the maximum reinforcement intensities are increasing
-against 10 percentage points for investments made by medium-sized enterprises
-and against 20 percentage points for small business investments, for their initial investments with eligible costs up to 50 million euros.

In addition, as soon as the Fair Transition Development Plan is implemented within the framework of the Fair Transition Fund Regulation, Greece will notify the Commission, as far as possible, of an amendment to the regional aid map with an increase of 10% of the maximum aid intensity for future Fair Transition areas.

“With the approval by the European Commission of our country’s map for the granting of regional aid in the period 2022-2027, the many months of intensive efforts to promote the proposals of the Greek side, both at a technical and a high political level, succeed”, The Minister of Finance, Christos Staikouras, states in a relevant announcement and adds: “In this context, the main thing is that the goal of increased aid rates for regions of our country is achieved, depending on their development needs and the specifics of the areas of fair transition.

At the same time, the conditions are being created for the stimulation of regional development, the transition to the post-colonial era and the strengthening of business activity – small, medium and large – in a way that will contribute to ensuring high, sustainable and socially just economic growth “.

For his part Minister of Development & Investment, Mr. Adonis Georgiadis “After negotiations with the European authorities that lasted throughout 2021, we are pleased to announce the new regional aid map for 2022-27. Aid rates have been significantly increased in critical regions to allow us to reduce inequality between the Regions and to move the economic development of the country faster “.

Finally, the Deputy Minister of Development & Investment, Mr. Nikos Papathanasis said: “The new Regional Aid Charter, approved by the European Commission with effect from 1/1/2022, provides for significantly increased rates of aid for investment projects and is the result of hard negotiation by the Greek Government. With the new Development Law and the Law “For a Fair Transition we aim at the development perspective of the Regions and the strong support of entrepreneurship. The Government strengthens the enterprises and the economy both at national and regional level, for the creation of new, quality and better paid jobs”.