The European Commission (EC) initiated a public consultation on July 28, 2026, to discuss proposed changes to the Regional State Aid Guidelines (RAG). This consultation will remain open until September 30, 2026, allowing all interested parties, particularly national and regional authorities that provide state aid, to participate.

The RAG outlines the conditions for granting state aid aimed at supporting economic development in disadvantaged regions of the EU and sets criteria for determining eligible areas for regional aid. These areas and the maximum aid intensities are defined in regional aid maps approved by the EC.

In the proposed changes, the EC has considered the latest socio-economic data to identify relevant areas for the period from 2028 to 2034, as well as specific challenges faced by Eastern EU regions bordering Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.

The current regional aid maps are applicable until December 31, 2027. The EC plans to adopt the revised guidelines by the end of 2026, ensuring that member states have sufficient time to prepare and notify new regional aid maps that will take effect in 2028.

The proposed changes will also be discussed in a multilateral meeting between the EC and member states. In this context, the Slovak competition authority will reach out to aid providers for feedback on the proposed changes to the regional state aid guidelines.