Phedon Nicolaides

The Impossibility of Proving the Absolute Impossibility to Recover Incompatible State Aid* Introduction It is rather impossible for Member States to prove that it is absolutely impossible to recover State aid that has been found by the Commission, and confirmed by EU courts, to be (...)

Economic Continuity and Recovery of Indirect State Aid* Introduction Recipients of State aid that is found to be incompatible with the internal market have to pay it back with interest. This liability for repayment also extend to anyone else who benefits from the aid indirectly. It is (...)

Draft New RDI Framework* On Monday, 19 April 2021, the European Commission published the new Regional Aid Guidelines for the period 2022-2027. They can be accessed at: https://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/regional_aid/RAG_2021_adopted_communication.zip Introduction On 8 April 2021, (...)

Individual Aid Measures to Combat Covid-19* Aid to remedy a serious economic disturbance may be granted to a single company that is important for the national economy. EU law does not extend to competitors a right to the same aid. Introduction Between March 2020 and April 2021, the European (...)

“Global” Assessment of Tax Schemes* It is incumbent on the Commission to carry out a global assessment of tax schemes. But it must take into account only those provisions of schemes that apply ex ante and do not depend on the circumstances of individual tax payers. Only when aid has to be (...)

Exclusive Rights and State Aid* Exclusive rights may constitute State aid if they mandate payments with resources over which the state can exercise control. Compensation for the cost of public service obligations may be granted only if the obligations are clear and define a service that is (...)

Can the Decision of a Private Entity be Imputed to the State?* Introduction One of the trickiest aspects of determining whether a financial transaction involves State aid is its attribution or imputation to a decision of the state, especially when the entity providing the funding is private. (...)

State Aid May be Limited to Undertakings with Close Links with the National Economy (Part II)* Introduction The European Commission acted swiftly to adopt a fairly accommodating and wide-ranging “Temporary Framework” to regulate State aid for the purposes of counter-acting the impact of (...)

Liquidity Assistance to Banks to Counter the Effects of Covid-19* Any direct public support of financial institutions affected by covid-19 has to comply with both State aid rules and the rules of the banking union. Introduction The Temporary Framework for State aid to combat covid-19 (...)

Lease Contracts and Competitive Selection* Introduction After receiving a complaint, the Commission opened a formal investigation into alleged State aid granted by the Estonian Ministry of Rural Affairs to AS Tartu Agro, a private limited company, which produced milk, meat and cereals. (...)

State Guarantee to an Energy Project* A state guarantee can bridge the funding gap of an infrastructure project. Introduction State aid rules allow energy infrastructure projects to be supported by as much aid as is necessary to bridge their “funding gap”; i.e. the difference between the (...)

Attribution to the State does not necessarily Imply Control by the State* Prices fixed by the state do not necessarily confer control to the state over the private resources which are used to pay those prices. Introduction Judging from how many times EU courts have been asked to interpret (...)

Advantage Must be Proven, Not Assumed* Introduction When a company gets into financial trouble, public subsidies may provide a temporary respite but hardly ever a permanent solution if the company does not undertake painful restructuring. More than 10 years ago, Larko, a Greek mining (...)

Non-recovery of Incompatible State aid Is Costly* Introduction The 2020 Temporary Framework for State aid to combat covid-19 has a much wider scope in comparison to other State aid regulations and guidelines. Normally, State aid regulations and guidelines exclude, for example, undertakings in (...)

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Bail-in Is the Responsibility of Member States* Introduction Investors in banks who lost their money have sought compensation both at EU and national level. So far, claims for damages at EU level have been unsuccessful. In some instances, the cases before EU and national courts have been (...)

A PREFERENTIAL ELECTRICITY TARIFF SELECTIVE, CONFERS AND ADVANTAGE AND DISTORTS COMPETITION* Introduction On 11 December 2019, in case C‑332/18 P, Mytilinaios Anonymos Etairia — Omilos Epicheiriseon v European Commission, the Court of Justice probably wrote the last chapter in a long-running (...)

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COMPENSATION TO A TOLL ROAD OPERATOR* Introduction When is a company entitled to compensation by the state? The easy answer is “when the state is liable for damage”. However, it may be possible for a company to claim compensation from the state when the state has assumed contractual (...)

ECONOMIC CONTINUITY IN RECOVERY OF INCOMPATIBLE STATE AID* Introduction Companies rarely escape from the obligation to repay incompatible State aid. Over the past decade or so, very few companies have successfully argued that they legitimately expected that the aid they received was (...)

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Helsinki Busses, Loans, Article 93 and Indemnification* Bus transportation provided by public authorities constitutes economic activity. Loans given by a public authority to its transport unit have to be priced at market rates. The market value of public assets sold to third parties has to (...)

Many Tax Rulings Do Not Make a Single Aid Scheme* The autonomy that Member States enjoy in the field of direct taxation must be exercised in compliance with EU State aid law. A State aid measure is considered to be a “scheme” when (a) no further implementing acts are necessary, (b) the granting (...)

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Justification of a Tax Exemption* Prevention of excessive taxation may justify tax exemption. Prevention of abuse may justify limits to the tax exemption. Introduction A tax exemption may not constitute state aid if it is justified by reasons which are linked to the nature or general scheme (...)

Infrastructure Projects, State Guarantees and Distortion of Competition* State guarantees must be limited in duration and amount and the conditions for their mobilization must be defined in advance. Public funding to an operator in a closed sector does not affect trade and, therefore, does not (...)

The Private Investor Principle in Air Transport - Part I* The Private Investor Principle in Air Transport - Part II* Public funds managed by private airport operators can be classified as state resources. Prices charged by airport operators can be used as a benchmark for market prices only if (...)

Pari Passu Is not Static* When comparing the behaviour of public and private creditors, it is necessary to ensure that their situations and interests do not diverge over time. Introduction When an undertaking owes money to a public authority the latter must use all available legal means to (...)

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Activities linked to State prerogatives Economic activities which cannot be separated from the exercise of public powers cease to be economic in nature. Introduction The dividing line between economic and non-economic activities is in a permanent state of flux. Although it is now clear that (...)

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Pensions, public statements and private investors* Introduction This article reviews two court judgments both of which concern Orange, the French incumbent telecoms operator. The first judgment finds that compensation for the extra costs of pensions of Orange employees with civil service (...)

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State Aid for R&D: How Intermediaries Pass on Aid to Third Parties* Operators of research infrastructure do not benefit from State aid, if they fully pass on the aid to the users of the infrastructure. The amount of aid must be quantified. Introduction The beneficiaries of State aid to (...)

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No affectation of trade* Introduction In April 2015, the Commission surprised us with seven decisions that concluded that planned State aid was not likely to have any effect on trade between Member States. Those decisions were reviewed here on 15 June 2015. [1] The Commission gave prominence (...)

Belgium’s Alternative Tax Regime for the Diamond Sector* Alternative tax regimes do not provide State aid as long as they raise the amount of tax paid and they are justified by the nature or general scheme of the normal system of taxation. Introduction During the past three years, the (...)

State aid for R&D: What is research?* Introduction The purpose of research is to discover something new. But what is often difficult to define for public authorities that wish to stimulate more research activities is how new must be the outcome of research. It is rare that research (...)

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Burden-sharing and State aid to banks* Introduction On 19 July 2016, the Court of Justice rendered its judgment in case C‑526/14, Tadej Kotnik and others v Državni zbor Republike Slovenije. The judgment was in response to a request for a preliminary ruling from the constitutional court of (...)

Compensation for the extra costs imposed by law* Introduction On 14 July 2016, the General Court rendered its judgment in case T 143/12, Germany v Commission. The outcome was a victory for Germany as the General Court annulled Commission decision 2012/636 which had ordered Germany to recover (...)

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Compatible State Aid May Have Negative Effects on some Market Operators* The existence of market failure is not necessary for aid to be declared compatible under Article 107(3). Market failure does not mean that the market is completely unable to supply a good or service. State aid aiming to (...)

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Sport Facilities, the Balancing Test and Distortion of Competition* Aid measures that target persons with particular needs and who are not adequately provided by the market are not likely to be found to distort competition contrary to the common interest, even if there is some substitutability (...)

Support for Green Electricity: State Resources and “PreussenElektra”* Arrangements established by law whereby undertakings are compensated for any extra payments they make to producers of green electricity are likely to bring those payments under the control of the state. Those payments will (...)

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When Infrastructure is not Public: Dedicated, Project-Specific and Bespoke* Public funding of open and freely used infrastructure is not State aid. Public funding of project-specific, dedicated or bespoke infrastructure is State aid. Public funding of infrastructure connecting public and (...)

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An Exception Is Not Necessarily Selective: The Case of the Spanish Tax Lease* An exception from a tax system is not selective if it is a priori open to any tax payer. Checks by tax authorities to ensure that a measure is applied correctly do not constitute exercise of administrative discretion (...)

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Compensation for Public Service Obligations and Compensation for Damage* Compensation for public service obligations is compatible with the internal market when, at minimum, a PSO is well defined in an entrustment constituting an official act of a public authority, the revenues and costs of (...)

Airport Infrastructure, Public Remit and the MEOT* A public authority, acting as a private investor, may provide finance which is free of state aid to an airport and at the same time grant state aid to the same airport. Public funding of activities that fall within the exclusive tasks of the (...)

Nature Conservation as a Service of General Economic Interest* Public funding of non-economic activities does not create State aid problems when any related economic activities are clearly separated. The 2012 SGEI package can apply retroactively. Introduction Member States of the European (...)

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a) Natural Disasters and b) Absolute Impossibility to Recover Incompatible State Aid* Aid to remedy the damage caused by natural disasters can be granted only if the damage is the direct consequence of the disaster and the amount of aid must be limited to the actual damage suffered by each (...)

The Pricing of Access to an Important Project of Common European Interest* Infrastructure that is commercially exploited [e.g. charging of tolls] is an economic activity. Infrastructure that is freely available to users is not economic activity. Access fees or tolls may be regulated. State aid (...)

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The State Acting as a Private Creditor & State Aid Enforcement and Procedural Rights* In this article I review Commission decision SA.37100 on JSC Liepajas Metalurgs [LM], once Latvia’s largest steel company and major employer. The decision examines whether Latvia acted promptly to recover (...)

The Challenge of Calculating a Market Price* The market price of land or buildings can be determined via auction, expert valuation or other appropriate methods. Introduction On 16 July 2015, the Court of Justice delivered its judgment in case C‑39/14, BVVG Bodenverwertungs- und -verwaltungs (...)

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When Do Public Pronouncements Confer an Advantage to Undertakings?* Public pronouncements can confer an advantage if they are sufficiently precise and clearly commit a public authority to support an undertaking. Introduction Politicians often claim that they would never allow important (...)

The Market Economy Investor Principle Applies also to Avoidance of Losses* A public authority can act as a private investor in paying to avoid costly contractual clauses. A public authority can act as a private investor in paying to bring forward future revenue. Introduction When a market (...)

Application of the MEIP to Transactions between Parent and Subsidiary Companies* The Market Economy Investor Principle also applies to transactions between related companies. A private investor enjoys a margin of discretion in deciding in favour or against an investment. However, despite that (...)

The Use and Abuse of De Minimis Aid & State Resources* Individual awards of de minimis aid must remain below the relevant threshold as well as the sum of all individual awards in any three-year period. Introduction This article reviews a case that, among other things, deal with the use (...)

Levying of Charges to Maintain Equal Treatment Is Not Necessarily Selective* The standard of proof of whether a measure is selective depends on whether that measure is a scheme or a grant of individual aid. Measures providing for exemption are by definition selective. Measures that impose (...)

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Commission in decision SA.39652* Aid measures which are funded by beneficiaries themselves are unlikely to constitute State aid. De minimis aid may be granted on condition that not only individual awards of aid remain below the various thresholds defined in different de minimis regulations (...)

Restructuring Aid* Restructuring aid can finance any part of a restructuring plan. Compensatory measures initiated before the granting of restructuring aid can be taken into account as long as they are linked to the restructuring itself. Restructuring aid On 13 May 2015, the General Court (...)

Germany Scores a Hat-trick of Non-Aid Measures!* At the end of April, the European Commission announced that seven measures were found not to constitute State aid because they could not be reasonably expected to affect cross-border trade. The finding of no affectation of trade is rare. That (...)

Germany Scores a Hat-trick of Non-Aid Measures!* At the end of April, the European Commission announced that seven measures were found not to constitute State aid because they could not be reasonably expected to affect cross-border trade. The finding of no affectation of trade is rare. That (...)

Germany Scores a Hat-trick of Non-Aid Measures!* At the end of April, the European Commission announced that seven measures were found not to constitute State aid because they could not be reasonably expected to affect cross-border trade. The finding of no affectation of trade is rare. That (...)

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SA.37963: Glenmore Lodge, UK* At the end of April, the European Commission announced that seven measures were found not to constitute State aid because they could not be reasonably expected to affect cross-border trade. The finding of no affectation of trade is rare. That seven measures were (...)

SA.38208: Member-owned golf clubs, UK* At the end of April, the European Commission announced that seven measures were found not to constitute State aid because they could not be reasonably expected to affect cross-border trade. The finding of no affectation of trade is rare. That seven (...)

Article published on StateAidHub: http://stateaidhub.eu, republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author. The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

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State Guarantees* The amount of State aid in a guarantee that makes possible the granting of a loan to a well-collateralised firm in difficulty is not the difference in premium but the difference in interest rates. Beneficiaries of guarantees not notified to the Commission do not have any (...)

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A National Measure that Does Not Apply at Regional Level Is Not Necessarily Selective* Where there is a constitutional division of tax competences, different authorities may tax similar activities at different rates. Introduction This article examines Commission decision SA.34469 on (...)

How Injection of Public Capital Can Be Free of State Aid* Injection of public capital in an undertaking conforms with the market economy investor principle when: The public investment is equal and concomitant to private investment. The public investment has economic significance and is not (...)

Ex post Monitoring of a Risk Capital Fund* Ex post monitoring will be pursued vigorously by the Commission. Irregularities in the implementation of State aid measures may lead to the opening of the formal investigation procedure. Introduction This article examines Commission decision (...)

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A New but Dubious Concept of Advantage * When the Commission orders recovery of aid that is intended to be passed on to final consumers, it must first calculate the amount, if any, that has been retained by the direct recipients of the aid. If the calculation is too complex, the Commission can (...)

Should State Aid that Is Passed on to Consumers Not be Recovered?* Should the amount of recoverable aid be similarly reduced by the amount that is allegedly passed on to consumers? I will argue the case against it. Introduction On 5 February 2015, the General Court, in cases T-473/12, Aer (...)

The Perils of Ex Post Monitoring* Greater use of the new General Block Exemption Regulation means fewer State aid measures subject to notification and ex ante assessment by the Commission. However, less ex ante control will be followed by more ex post control. Member States should be prepared (...)

i) SeaFrance* When a public authority makes an investment in a financially troubled company, the State aid bells should start ringing. However, it is now a well-established principle of the case law on State aid that even when a public authority invests in a troubled company, there is not (...)

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ii) Monopolies and the market economy investor principle* Several casinos in Greece appealed against Commission decision SA.33988 which found that an exclusive licence granted to OPAP, the Greek betting undertaking, to operate 35,000 video lottery terminals [exclusive rights 1] and the (...)

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Electronic procurement in the Netherlands* Services provided by a public authority in the exercise of its public duties are not economic in nature, even if market operators offer similar services. The decision analyse in depth the presence or not of economic activity and also respond to (...)

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SNCM* In 8 July 2008, the Commission took the view that certain measures in favour of Société Nationale Maritime Corse-Méditerranée [SNCM] did not constitute State aid and certain other aid measures were compatible with the internal market. The 2008 decision was partially annulled in September (...)

Tax Measures with Specific Objectives Can still Be General* A tax measure that applies to certain transactions is not selective if it does not preclude any company or type of asset. Conditions for the application of a tax measure may be justified by the logic of the tax system. The Commission (...)

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Loans for SMEs* Low-interest loans may be used to support investments. The granting of de minimis aid through loans is possible only if loans are secured against collateral. The 2008 Commission Communication on interest rates does not apply to subordinated, non-collateralised loans. (...)

Green Electricity and Reduction of Energy Taxes for Energy-Intensive Users* Support of electricity production from renewable energy sources is normally compatible with the internal market. Reduction of taxes on electricity used by energy-intensive industries is allowed only for certain sectors (...)

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An Important Project of Common European Interest* Infrastructure projects which are economic in nature are subject to State aid scrutiny regardless of their importance. However, public funding of transport networks which are open to all users does not constitute State aid. Introduction State (...)

Exclusive Rights* The granting of exclusive rights may confer an advantage but does not in itself result in transfer of state resources. Private undertakings that hold exclusive rights are not utilising state resources by the mere fact that they operate under rights conferred by the state. (...)

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Public Service Obligations: A Few More Mistakes that Can Be Avoided* Even efficient companies will fail the 4th Altmark criterion if their costs are not proven to be comparable to those of a typical and well-equipped undertaking. Public funding of infrastructure is not State aid to users only (...)

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Corporate taxation* Last October, the Commission adopted decision 2015/314 which was published in the Official Journal on 27 February 2015. In this decision, the Commission finds that tax amortisation of financial goodwill arising from the acquisition of foreign companies constitutes State aid (...)

Use of Publicly-Funded Infrastructure without State Aid* Public funding of infrastructure which is open to any user does not constitute State aid. Public funding for the upgrading/extension of infrastructure in view of expected increase in the number of users is not State aid as long as it is (...)

i) State Aid Can Be Attributed to the State even when Granted via Faulty Procedures ii) Who Can Challenge a Commission Decision Authorising State Aid?* Main points For a measure to constitute State aid, it must, among other things, be attributed to a decision of the state. When a State aid (...)

Land Development* The sale of land and buildings owned by a public authority conforms with the market economy operator principle when i) it is profitable, ii) there is no alternative transaction that is economically more attractive, and iii) the sale is as profitable as similar transactions (...)

i) Domestic Legal Problems Do Not Make the Recovery of Incompatible Aid Absolutely Impossible ii) Role of National Courts in Cases of Non-notified Aid* Main points The only defence for non-recovery of incompatible State aid is absolute impossibility. Obstacles in domestic legal proceedings (...)

Advantage from High Entry Prices: Can It Be That Both the Commission and the General Court Have Misunderstood Simple Economics?* Main points Price regulation can constitute State aid if the state forgoes potential revenue. However, for price regulation to constitute State aid it must (...)

The Jurisdictional Side of Selectivity* Main points A measure determined independently by similar public entities is not selective even if it varies across those entities. A measure is selective when the entity that has adopted it, applies it differently to undertakings which are within its (...)

Land Transactions: Commercial Deals v Regulatory Acts* Regulation on land use or changes in such regulations do not constitute State aid. Administrative methods for calculating the value of public land do not necessarily prevent the granting of State aid if they do not reflect the evolution in (...)

The First Application of the New GBER to Sport Infrastructure* Public funding of local sport infrastructure may constitute State aid. The granting of a concession contract for the construction and/or operation of the infrastructure may not exclude State aid for the concessionaire. Measures (...)

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Compensatory Payments Can be State Aid* Main points Article 107(1) also applies to payments that offset the damage caused by natural disasters. It is irrelevant that the compensation is partial or that competitors did not suffer similar damage. A measure can be State aid even if it is (...)

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The Market Economy Investor Test Applied to a Financially Troubled Company* Main points Public funding of an undertaking is free of State aid when it is accompanied at the same time and on equivalent terms by similar private funding. If public funding is provided at the insistence of the (...)

Benchmarks of Profitability for Private Investors* Main points A public authority that injects capital in an undertaking [or provides any other kind of finance] must ensure that the funding can achieve the rate of return that can, in principle, satisfy a private investor. The rate that can (...)

A Measure is Selective if its Application is Narrower than the Scope of the Objective it Seeks to Achieve* Main points A measure is attributed to a decision of a Member State if it is allowed but not mandated by an EU directive. A measure is selective when in practice it is open to fewer (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog The New General Block Exemption Regulation: The Cornerstone of the State Aid Regime, 2014-2020* The new GBER at a glance Common Provisions Aid must be transparent Aid must have incentive effect Rules on cumulation Aid measures & awards must (...)

Introduction Privatisation is the transfer of ownership of state assets to private concerns. Normally, privatisation is effected through an act of sale for a certain sum that reflects the value of the assets. This is the typical case when the assets have a certain positive value. However, when (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Transparency Is also Needed at the European Commission Level* Main points As more State aid measures in the future will be granted on the basis of the General Block Exemption Regulation, Member States will have to make the aid they grant more (...)

Capital Injection that Turns out to be Incompatible State Aid* Main points Public authorities and the entities they control need to ensure that injection of public money in an undertaking must satisfy the market economy investor principle, otherwise it will be considered to be State aid. (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog The Cost of not Recovering Incompatible Aid* Main points The Commission is not obliged to quantify precisely the amount of aid that has to be recovered. The Member State that fails to recover incompatible aid or fails to recover all of it risks (...)

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Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog A Textbook Case of False Arguments: T-150/12, Greece v Commission* Main points Recipients of State aid obtain an advantage even if they do not succeed to improve their position on the market Recipients of State aid obtain an advantage whenever (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog The New Guidelines on State Aid for Environmental Protection and Energy, 2014-2020* Main points The new guidelines are wider in scope: They also cover energy infrastructure, energy capacity and reductions from electricity levies. The new (...)

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Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog The New Guidelines on State Aid to Airports and Airlines: Problematic Issues (part 2)* Last week I reviewed the main provisions of the new Guidelines on State Aid to Airports and Airlines. This week I focus on three issues which are either not well (...)

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* Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog (click here), republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author. The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

*Article published on StateAidHub: http://stateaidhub.eu, republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author. The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog The Importance of a Correct Framing of the Private Creditor and Private Investor Tests* Main points A public authority acting as private creditor must exhaust all legally available means of recovering money owed to it. A private creditor may agree (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog SMEs Linked through Natural Persons Two or more enterprises may constitute a single undertaking when their owners and/or managers are related in a way that they can act jointly to exercise influence over the decision of those enterprises. (...)

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A Market Operator, unlike a Public Authority, Does not Have to Treat all Customers Equally* In managing infrastructure, a public authority acts as a private operator when it seeks a reasonable return on its investment and also takes into account the alternative of not operating the (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog The Role of National Courts in Recovery of Incompatible State Aid* Introduction In December I examined the judgment in the case of Lufthansa v Frankfurt-Hahn, which laid down certain obligations for national courts whenever they are petitioned to (...)

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* Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog (click here), republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author. The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

* Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog (click here), republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author. The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

* Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog (click here), republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author. The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

Article published on StateAidHub: http://stateaidhub.eu, republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author. The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog The New Rules on De minimis Aid for 2014-2020: Regulation 1407/2013* Introduction It is appropriate to start this year’s articles on State aid with an appraisal of one of the most important new legislative items for the period 2014-2020: the new de (...)

A JESSICA-Funded Public-Private Partnership* Main points Public funding of a public-private partnership for the construction and maintenance of public schools may still involve State Aid. State Aid may have an incentive effect even when it is granted to a project that has already started. (...)

Management of Port Infrastructure through a very long Concession Contract: Is the Funding Gap Method Meaningful?* Main points Competitive selection of the operator of an infrastructural facility normally eliminates State aid. However, modifications to the contract after the operator is (...)

* Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog (click here), republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author. The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Public Funding of Projects that Encounter Financial Problems* Main points Aid that is granted after the start of a project lacks incentive effect and is, therefore, incompatible with the internal market. However, aid may be justified when a project (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Competitive Elements in the Selection of Operators of Sports Infrastructure May not Be Enough to Eliminate State Aid* Main points The existence of an advantage cannot be excluded when the operator of an infrastructural facility is chosen through a (...)

The Possibly Conflicting Roles of EU Institutions on State Aid* Introduction On 10 December 2013, the Court of Justice, in C‑272/12 P, wrote another chapter in the long-running case of the exemption from excise taxes for alumina producers in France, Ireland and Italy. This is not the last (...)

Non-notified State Aid and the Role of National Courts [C 284/12, Deutsche Lufthansa v Flughafen Frankfurt-Hahn]* Introduction What prevents a Member State from granting State aid without first notifying it to the European Commission? Cynics would answer “nothing, in fact”. Indeed, nothing can (...)

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Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Why Can the Commission Not Be Consistent in its Analysis of Economic Activity and Affectation of Trade?* Introduction If you ask a national official who deals with State aid to identify the most challenging aspects of working with State aid rules, (...)

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Tax Hypothecation and Economic Efficiency under Altmark: T-275/11, French Television 1 v Commission* Background France Télévisions is a limited company wholly owned by the French State. As France abolished advertising on public television, it also decided to provide financial compensation to (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Economically Rational Environmental Aid* Introduction A few months ago I wrote an article on this blog explaining the big puzzle of environmental State aid. Since the rules allow State aid which is only a proportion of the extra costs incurred by (...)

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Sale of Public Assets, SGEI and Electricity Levies* Main points Revenue from levies on electricity users is most likely to constitute State resources. Public service obligations can be transferred from one electricity-generating company to another. Compensation for public service obligations (...)

The Offsetting of a Structural Disadvantage Is still State Aid* Introduction Normally it is conceptually and technically fairly easy to determine whether an undertaking benefits from a public measure. However, this task becomes considerably more difficult in two situations: i) when a public (...)

New Case Law on Incentive Effect, “Private Borrower”, Advantage, Compensation, SGEI and Market Failure* Introduction The posting reviews three recent rulings of the General Court. They are significant because they introduce substantial nuances in the case law concerning the concepts of (...)

New Case Law on Incentive Effect, “Private Borrower”, Advantage, Compensation, SGEI and Market Failure* Introduction The posting reviews three recent rulings of the General Court. They are significant because they introduce substantial nuances in the case law concerning the concepts of (...)

New Case Law on Incentive Effect, “Private Borrower”, Advantage, Compensation, SGEI and Market Failure* Introduction The posting reviews three recent rulings of the General Court. They are significant because they introduce substantial nuances in the case law concerning the concepts of (...)

The Emerging Doctrine of Inseparability and Compensation for Public Service Obligations [T-347/09, Germany v Commission]* Introduction In the landmark judgment in Leipzig Halle, the General Court stated that infrastructure which is inseparable from economic activity is itself economic and its (...)

* Article published on StateAidHub: http://stateaidhub.eu, republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author. The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

Application of the Market Economy Investor Principle to a Company Processing Agricultural Products* When a public entity injects fresh capital in a company in which it is already a shareholder, the new capital does not constitute State aid when it satisfies three conditions: i) all (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog How Not to Determine the Effect on Trade [Infrastructure for Tourism, Czech Republic (SA.35909)]* Introduction Normally the articles in this blog identify landmark court rulings and seminal decisions of the Commission which set important precedents (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog. Privatisation of Aeroportos de Portugal: Conflict between the National Economic Adjustment Programme and State Aid Rules?* Background Portugal notified to the Commission the privatisation of the “Aeroportos de Portugal” [ANA] for reasons of legal (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog. The Confusion between Necessity and Proportionality of State Aid [Case SA.35738: Public Funding of Port Infrastructure]* Introduction Several postings in this blog have examined cases concerning funding of port, airport or sport infrastructure. (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog A Public Authority Can Behave Like a Private Investor even when the Beneficiary Has Little Prospect of Future Profitability* Introduction When a public authority invests in an undertaking, it must earn a return at market rates, otherwise the (...)

Exceptional Circumstances, Natural Disasters, Commercial Risk and Rights of Complainants* Rights of Complainants Concerning Unlawful Aid: Case C-615/11 P, European Commission v Ryanair, 16 May 2013 The European Commission appealed against the judgment of the General Court in case T-442/07 (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Exceptional Circumstances, Natural Disasters, Commercial Risk and Rights of Complainants* Natural disasters: Commission Decision SA.36027 on compensation of damage caused by future natural disasters in Valle d’Aosta (IT) This is an unusual measure (...)

* Article published on StateAidHub: http://stateaidhub.eu, republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author. The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog. The Flexible Boundary between Economic and Non-economic Activities (part I)* This is a rather long posting divided into two parts both of which deal with the concept of economic activity. In part I, I analyse two cases outside the field of State (...)

* Article published on StateAidHub: http://stateaidhub.eu, republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author. The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

Ex Post Evaluation of State Aid: A New Instrument* Introduction: The need for evaluation The State Aid Modernisation that was launched by the European Commission in May 2012 aims primarily to channel State aid to remedying genuine market failure. Subsequent policy documents have all been (...)

* Article published on StateAidHub: http://stateaidhub.eu, republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author. The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Fiscal Leveraging: Donations and State Aid for Culture and Sports* Introduction In this blog I examine primarily a Dutch measure that supports cultural institutions by providing tax incentives to individuals and corporations to make donations to (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog The Private Investor Principle Applied to Loans [Commission Decision 2013/528]* Introduction The State aid issue in this case is relatively straightforward. Nauta, a Polish shipyard, received a two-year loan from IDA, the state-owned Polish (...)

*Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog (click here), republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author(s). The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

Where is the Money? The Link between Advantage and Transfer of State Resources* On 19 March 2013, the Court of Justice delivered an important judgment in case C-399/10 P, Bouygues v European Commission concerning aid that was granted by France to France Telecom. The case was an appeal to an (...)

Non-commercial activities and absolute impossibility to recover incompatible aid* Commission Decision 2013/284 on municipal real estate tax exemption granted to real estate used by non-commercial entities for specific purposes implemented by Italy [SA.20829] This decision concerns three (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog An “Alternative” Method of Valuation for State-Aid-Free Sale of Public Land* The obligation of the state to act as a private vendor When a public authority sells an asset to an undertaking, it must sell it at the market price. The case law is clear (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Taxes and Tax Reductions on Air Travel: Selectivity and Compatibility* This posting examines an Irish and a German measure concerning reduction in passenger taxes. As to be expected, an important issue for both measures was whether the reduction was (...)

* Article published on StateAidHub: http://stateaidhub.eu, republished in e-Competitions with the courtesy of the author. The original title of this article appears below the e-Competitions title. Authors are welcome to write an alternative article on this case/text, provided they have no (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog. A Case of Public Funding of Infrastructure that Does not Constitute State Aid: But Many Questions Remain* Introduction After the landmark judgment in Leipzig-Halle, public authorities are justifiably careful to ensure that the infrastructure they (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Sale of State-owned Airlines* Introduction In the previous posting I examined the funding of a regional airport. In this posting I look at a case concerning an airline; more specifically, the sale of three subsidiaries of Polish airline LOT. (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog The Curious Case of Applying the Market Economy Investor Principle to a Monopoly* On 3 October 2012, the European Commission concluded, in case SA.33988, that OPAP, the Greek operator of games of chance received no state aid because the Market (...)

Two Judgments: a) Unlimited State Guarantees and b) The Discretion of the Commission in Restructuring Measures* Main points Unlimited state guarantees are never compatible with the internal market. The existence of an unlimited guarantee and its benefits can be inferred from the relevant (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Taxes and Tax Reductions on Air Travel: Selectivity and Compatibility* This posting examines an Irish and a German measure concerning reduction in passenger taxes. As to be expected, an important issue for both measures was whether the reduction was (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Exceptional Circumstances, Natural Disasters, Commercial Risk and Rights of Complainants* Reduced commercial risk: Commission Decision 2013/198 on aid to Habidite Alonsogeti (ES) Habidite Alonsogeti (HA) was involved in the construction of social (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog The Market Economy Vendor Principle: Sale of Public Land by the Dutch Municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg* [Commission Decision SA.24123] The previous post examined a case where the European Commission applied the Market Economy Investor (...)

Objectively Justified Pricing: The Market Economy Operator Principle* Introduction: Objective justification of price differentiation In a landmark judgment 25 years ago [February 1988], the Court of Justice established that business behaviour that appears to deviate from normal market (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Fiscal Leveraging: Donations and State Aid for Culture and Sports* Introduction In this blog I examine primarily a Dutch measure that supports cultural institutions by providing tax incentives to individuals and corporations to make donations to (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Exceptional Circumstances, Natural Disasters, Commercial Risk and Rights of Complainants* Exceptional circumstances: Commission Decision 2013/197 on aid to Cantiere Navale De Poli (IT) The measure in question concerned State aid that Italy intended (...)

Article published on Lexxion State Aid Blog Airport Operators and Budget Airlines* During the past 18 months or so, the European Commission has launched more than 20 investigations in the funding of regional airports and the arrangements that these airports have concluded with budget airlines (...)