How can State Aid Best Support Inclusive Employment & Social Impact?

EASPD in May 2023 commissioned from LinkinEurope the elaboration of a study on the impact of state 
aid rules on social economy organisations and social enterprises, asking to focus in particular on service 
providers for persons with disabilities (PwD). This study will be finalised and delivered in October. Some 
highlights from the study will be presented by the researchers at the webinar on 7 November. 
The study gives an overview of the state aid rules applicable to social economy enterprises and social 
service providers, highlighting recent developments regarding the revision of the EU state aid 
legislation (chapter 1). It then assesses the opportunities that the legal framework in force – basically 
consisting of the general de minimis Regulation, the SGEI de minimis Regulation, the General Block 
Exemption Regulation (GBER) and the SGEI Decision – offers to social economy enterprises and social 
service providers, in particular to service providers for persons with disabilities, and the most recurrent 
challenges encountered by them in its implementation (chapter 2). The study presents some promising practices in the application of state aid rules, basically indicating the potential of making full and correct use of the “state set tool set” (chapter 3). It proposes recommendations on a more effective 
use of the EU-level state aid rules to improve the labour market and social inclusion of disadvantaged 
workers and vulnerable persons, keeping a strong focus on the needs and rights of PwD and of the 
service providers supporting them (chapter 4). The recommendations are addressed to EU-level and 
national decision makers, the providers of social services and social economy actors.
 

Objectives of the joint webinar
The joint EASPD-SSE Webinar intends to bring together social service providers, policymakers from EU 
MS and the EU-level, social enterprises active in the field of labour market and social inclusion, and 
researchers. It pursues three objectives:

1. Discuss about the main insights from the study “Impact of State aid on the Development of the Social Economy and Service providers for Persons with Disabilities”

2. Jointly assess prospects and concerns linked to the ongoing revision of the general de minimis Regulation and the SGEI de minimis Regulation. The new rules, which still need to be finally agreed upon between the EC and the EU, will come into force as of 1 January 2024.

3. Exchange on the future revision of the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) by identifying the needs, expectations and proposals of social service providers and social enterprises.

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You can consult the programme of the webinar here and the presentations here:

Mathias Maucher & Valentina Caimi Presentation

European Commission Presentation

Giuseppe Guerini Presentation

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