Climate action and digitalisation concentrate state aid in the EU, with disparities between Member States
Óscar Salazar es Managing Director en la unidad de Fondos Europeos en Euro-Funding, donde lidera un equipo multidisciplinar de más de 30 profesionales internacionales, incluido el equipo de la oficina de Bruselas. Con casi tres décadas de trayectoria profesional, ha desarrollado una sólida carrera en la gestión de fondos europeos, la coordinación de proyectos de I+D+i y la evaluación externa de programas internacionales de innovación. Antes de su actual responsabilidad, desempeñó roles como Technical Manager y Senior Project Manager en Euro-Funding, además de haber trabajado como gestor de proyectos en organismos como el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, el CSIC, y como evaluador externo en iniciativas europeas de financiación. Asimismo Óscar aporta una sólida experiencia en investigación básica y desarrollo en compañías de referencia en biotecnología, desarrollo de fármacos, y diagnóstico molecular como MSD, Genómica-Pharmamar y Biotools, Su formación académica integra un Executive MBA por EAE Business School y la Universidad de Barcelona, un posgrado en European Research Management por la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, un doctorado y máster en Biología Molecular y Bioquímica por la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, donde también obtuvo su licenciatura. Este recorrido le ha permitido consolidar un perfil que combina la excelencia científica con la visión estratégica en financiación y gestión de proyectos europeos, contribuyendo al crecimiento y posicionamiento internacional de empresas, universidades y centros de investigación.
The European Commission has published the 2025 State Aid Scoreboard, a report analysing public aid expenditure by Member States during the 2024 financial year. The information is based on data submitted by each country.
The latest report highlights that around 90% of state aid was allocated to supporting the European Union’s strategic priorities. This represents a total of €151.9 billion.
In the case of Spain, total state aid reached €15.813 billion. Although overall spending was lower than in the previous year, investment in priority areas increased.
The sectors receiving the highest levels of funding include environmental protection, energy, research, business development and R&D&I. These areas are aligned with the EU’s core policy objectives.
Below we review the most relevant data and the main conclusions of the report.
Achieving climate objectives remains one of the EU’s highest priorities. Meeting the established milestones requires substantial investment. Consequently, this area received the largest share of funding: 45% of all state aid in 2024 was allocated to environmental protection and energy savings.
A more detailed breakdown shows that approximately €30.45 billion was devoted to decarbonisation, an increase compared with €29.16 billion in 2023. A further €27.31 billion was allocated to energy production and infrastructure modernisation during 2024.
Boost for research, development and innovation
In 2024, state aid for research, development and innovation (RDI) amounted to €14.16 billion. Regional development aid reached €14.42 billion, while €2.62 billion was allocated to Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs).
One noteworthy finding is that, despite stronger public commitment to RDI, expenditure across Member States remains highly uneven. A small number of countries continue to concentrate the majority of funding, raising concerns about a widening innovation gap within the Single Market.
For the European Commission, state aid is a key instrument to support strategic technologies. However, the analysis warns that better coordination at EU level is required to ensure more effective public funding and to strengthen Europe’s overall competitiveness. If current trends persist, countries with lower investment levels risk falling behind, further widening the innovation divide between Member States.
The report also highlights two new semiconductor manufacturing projects that received state aid, totalling €352.85 million in 2024. In addition, Member States contributed €4.95 billion to broadband deployment, supporting the EU’s digital growth.
The 2025 State Aid Scoreboard shows that the EU is making steady progress in aligning public expenditure with its strategic priorities. The challenge now is not only to maintain investment levels, but also to reduce disparities between Member States and address the imbalances that undermine competitiveness and cohesion within the Single Market.
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