Executive Vice-President Ribera has clarified that state aid for clean mobile terminal equipment in ports, when aimed at decarbonisation, falls under environmental aid rules rather than the transport-specific frameworks. In a 10 July 2026 answer to a parliamentary question from Kris Van Dijck (ECR), Ribera explained that the Land and Multimodal Transport Guidelines and the Transport Block Exemption Regulation are based on Article 93 TFEU, which covers aid for transport coordination, not environmental objectives. Aid with a primary environmental purpose is assessed under the Guidelines on State aid for climate, environmental protection and energy 2022 or, if not block-exempted, under the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER). On the second question regarding the draft revised GBER's definition of 'vehicle' excluding mobile terminal equipment, Ribera noted that the revision is ongoing and its outcome cannot be prejudged. The answer signals that while clean port equipment may qualify for aid under environmental rules, the Commission has not yet decided whether to explicitly include it in the GBER's vehicle definition. This leaves port operators and equipment manufacturers reliant on case-by-case assessment under the CEEAG, potentially creating uncertainty compared to a clear block exemption. The Commission's ongoing GBER review will determine future treatment.
Source✉ Open answer ↗
Asked byKris Van Dijck (ECR)