In Moldova, more enterprises will have access to state aid, its minimum threshold will increase to the level established in the EU.
In particular, this is provided for by the corresponding amendments to the Law on State Aid, which Parliament adopted in the first reading. As noted by the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, thus, the national regulatory framework in the field of state aid will be brought into line with the rules of the European Union. The update to the "de minimis" threshold will make it easier for some businesses to access state aid at levels equivalent to EU thresholds, and will ensure the effectiveness of the Competition Council's control of state aid. The authors of the bill note that the level of the minimum threshold currently established by law is not adapted to the development of the Moldovan economy over the past 10 years. Thus, the "de minimis" threshold will increase from 2 million to 5 million lei per beneficiary, regardless of its form of organization, for a period of 3 years. In the case of enterprises, the total cost of assistance will not exceed 10 million lei. The legislation will also be supplemented by new definitions provided for in EU jurisprudence - the date of provision and payment of state aid, eligible expenses, intensity of assistance, which, not being defined in national legislation, cause confusion and are incorrectly interpreted by providers and beneficiaries of state aid. At the same time, the bill specifies the conditions that suppliers must comply with when providing "de minimis" assistance, so that the support measures offered to companies do not significantly distort the competitive environment. The simplified notification procedure is also subject to EU rules. The period for investigating cases of violation of state aid legislation will be extended to 18 months from the moment the procedure is initiated, taking into account the complexity of cases of violation of state aid legislation. Another novelty proposed by the project is a change in the procedure for calculating interest on illegally provided state aid that is subject to recovery. The legislative initiative is aimed at ensuring transparency in the distribution of government resources. Taking into account EU practice, the document provides for the addition of the law with provisions that clearly establish what information cannot be considered confidential by the antimonopoly authority in the process of monitoring state aid provided to beneficiaries, and what information is confidential and requires the protection of a trade secret. The bill also provides for a change in the date of submission by the Competition Council of the annual report to parliament on state aid provided in Moldova - annually until December 31.// 19.10.2023 — InfoMarket.
