The VEM Point is often asked by entrepreneurs and businesses how to find out the de minimis aid situation in their own organisation or in related companies.
Collecting this information is a major problem, especially for the linked companies, as they have no control over what they do in other companies and whether they have obtained all the de minimis aid information from the entities, guaranteeing the correctness of the information by signing it.
The Ministry of Finance does not provide access to the situation of the company or access to this information. Many times the administrative staff in the organisations do not know and understand how to check whether certain aid has been granted under the de minimis scheme.
In addition, the forms of the agencies and ministries regarding de minimis aid are not harmonised. For example, some ask for specific information (agency, year, value - by project), some only for the applicant, some for related companies, etc. Even within SPIRIT, the forms for calls for tenders are different.
Proposals:
1. Simplification - use of the same form between different callers.
2. Allow access to information from the Ministry of Finance:
- or by the possibility of obtaining information
- or by e-access to the information for a specific entity (extract from the database).
3. Prepare a document - guidance for the verification of de minimis aid - more complex cases.