ESA publishes Annual State Aid Scoreboard for EEA EFTA States
Today, the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) published its latest annual state aid scoreboard, based on the 2022 annual expenditure reports. In 2022, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway reduced their state aid spending. The combined expenditure totalled EUR 7.2 billion, a 15% reduction from 2021, mainly due to phasing out COVID-19 support measures. Increased spending on environmental objectives partially offset this decrease, with environmental aid accounting for nearly half of total spending.
- Iceland: Spent EUR 288 million (1.1% of GDP), a 42% decrease from 2021. Aid focused on R&D&I and environmental objectives, primarily through tax concessions.
- Liechtenstein: State aid increased to EUR 8 million (0.1% of GDP), the lowest in the EEA. Funds were directed toward environmental objectives, all distributed via direct grants.
- Norway: Spent EUR 6.9 billion (1.2% of GDP), down 13% from 2021. Despite the overall reduction, environmental aid increased, with tax concessions as the main aid instrument.
Beside that, all three States utilized the GBER, allowing ESA to focus on high-impact cases. Compared to the European Union, state aid spending in EU Member States ranged between 0.3% and 2.1% of GDP, averaging 1.4% in 2022.
For further information, see ESA’s 2023 State Aid Scoreboard and its 2023 State Aid Expenditure Dataset.