The role of the State Aid and their regulation has become a crucial issue in the EU framework. This book introduces for the first time in Italy a general picture of the State Aid addressed to agriculture and rural areas. The first chapter (F. Mantino) describes the role of the State Aid in the national agricultural policy, by considering also their financial weight in the global amount of resources devoted to agriculture. The second chapter (L. Masala) deals with the most recent changes in the EU framework. The third chapter (S. Luzzi Conti and G. Cicchiello) make a sound analysis of the general meaning of the concept of State Aid in the EU and national legislation. The fourth chapter (F: Pierangeli and S. Luzzi Conti) describes the role of State Aid in the CAP, with particular reference to the first pillar and proposes a classification of State Aid adopted in the first pillar.