Commissioner for State Aid Control, Stella Michaelidou, gave her approval on Friday for a €35 million grant scheme designated for broadband networks.
During a meeting at the Presidential Palace on Friday to deliver the Commission’s annual report, Michaelidou briefed the President on the role of her Office, highlighting the state aid modernisation process followed by the European Commission. She noted that this process grants more authority to member states, leading to decentralization, as long as they adhere to specific guidelines outlined in the General Block Exemption Regulation.
Michaelidou pointed out that at a national level, individual Commissioners or competent authorities within each member state can independently approve state aid without requiring approval from the Commission. However, they are obligated to inform the Commission within 10-20 days about the approved projects they undertake.
“The goal of state aid modernisation is to align all member states in a unified direction,” she explained, underlining the prioritization of green and digital economies. As an illustration, she stated, “Today I have approved €35 million in relation to broadband networks.”
Following her presentation, Commissioner Michaelidou handed over the 2021 Office report to President Christodoulides, who expressed his gratitude for her dedicated work.