The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) has today adopted State aid guidelines for land and multimodal transport (LMTG), ensuring uniform application across the European Economic Area (EEA).

The guidelines align ESA's assessment framework with that adopted by the European Commission, making it easier and faster for the EEA EFTA states to support sustainable land transport solutions. They clarify how State aid measures in the sustainable transport sector that must be notified to and approved by ESA will be assessed.

Complementing the guidelines, the Commission also adopted on 16 March 2026 the State aid Transport Block Exemption Regulation (TBER), not yet applicable for the EEA EFTA States. Once applicable, the TBER exempts certain categories of aid in the rail, inland waterways and sustainable multimodal transport sectors from the requirement to provide prior notification to and obtain approval from ESA.

The guidelines were adopted by the European Commission on 16 March 2026 and have now been formally adopted by ESA. They provide a common framework that ESA will apply when assessing measures taken by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway in the field of land and multimodal transport.

The guidelines replace ESA's 2008 Guidelines on State aid for railway undertakings and include the following provisions:

• They apply to land transport modes more sustainable than road transport, including rail, inland waterways and sustainable multimodal transport.

• They clarify the possibilities for several operating and investment aid measures, such as for railway service and inland waterways facilities, launching new commercial connections on rail and inland waterways. They also clarify the possibilities for aid in the form of reimbursement for the discharge of public service obligations in the rail freight sector.

• Allowing more flexibility for the green and digital transitions aid, including reducing the external costs of transport, as well as aid promoting interoperability.

• They facilitate entry and growth of new operators in sustainable land transport markets, including access to finance for SMEs, small- and mid-caps and new entrants to purchase rolling stock and inland waterway vessels.

State aid

ESA monitors State aid granted by the EEA EFTA States to allow fair competition and an open Internal Market in the EEA. The EEA EFTA States are obliged to notify any planned State aid measure to ESA. As a rule, the EEA Agreement prohibits State aid to prevent negative impacts on trade, but exceptions are made for purposes such as environmental protection, regional support and research, innovation and development.

ESA's decision can be found here .

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