Despite the general prohibition of State aid, in some circumstances government interventions is necessary for a well-functioning and equitable economy. Therefore, the Treaty leaves room for a number of policy objectives for which State aid can be considered compatible. The legislation stipulates these exemptions. The laws are regularly reviewed to improve their efficiency and to respond to the European Councils’ calls for less but better targeted State aid to boost the European economy. The Commission adopts new legislation is adopted in close cooperation with the Member States. How is State aid verified? The European Commission has strong investigative and decision-making powers. At the heart of these powers lies the notification procedure which -except in certain instances- the Member States have to follow. (...) State aid sector inquiries can be launched in situations where State aid measures may distort competition in several Member States, or where existing aid measures are no longer compatible with the regulatory framework. Aid measures can only be implemented after approval by the Commission. Moreover, the Commission has the power to recover incompatible State aid. (...) the Commission invites interested parties to submit comments through the Official Journal of the European Union when it has doubts about the compatibility of a proposed aid measure and opens a formal investigation procedure. © European Commission
State aid (compatibility)
A
Absolute territorial protection
•
Abuse of dominant position
•
Abuse of economic dependence
•
Access to essential facility
•
Access to information
•
Access to the file
•
Advocacy
•
Agency agreement
•
Agent
•
Agreement (notion)
•
Amicus curiae
•
Ancillary restraints
•
Annulment
•
Anticompetitive object or effect
•
Anticompetitive practices
•
Antitrust
•
Applicable law
•
Arbitration
•
Article 11 letter
•
Automotive distribution
B
C
Cartel
•
Civil fine
•
Clearance phase I (merger)
•
Clearance phase II (merger)
•
Collecting society
•
Collective dominance
•
Collective redress (class action)
•
Comity
•
Competence
•
Competition policy
•
Complaint
•
Compliance programme
•
Compulsory license
•
Concerted practices
•
Concession
•
Concurrent jurisdiction
•
Consumers protection
•
Consumers’ associations
•
Contract
•
Control (change)
•
Control (notion)
•
Cooperation Agreement
•
Cooperation between competition authorities
•
Coordinated effects
•
Copyright
•
Corporate group
•
Corruption
•
Cost-based access
•
Criminal sanctions
•
Cross subsidisation
D
E
ECHR
•
Economic analysis
•
Economic efficiency
•
Economies of scale
•
Effect on trade between Member States
•
Effective judicial protection
•
EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) & Court
•
Environmental protection
•
Essential facility
•
European Competition Network (ECN)
•
Excessive prices
•
Exchanges of information
•
Exclusive distribution
•
Exclusive purchasing
•
Exclusive right (Art. 106 TFEU)
•
Exclusivity clause
•
Exhaustion
•
Extra-territoriality
F
I
L
M
P
Parallel imports (parallel trade)
•
Passing-on
•
Pay-for-delay
•
Periodic penalty payment
•
Personal data
•
Potential competition
•
Predatory pricing
•
Preliminary ruling (Art. 267 TFUE)
•
Price discrimination
•
Price-fixing agreement
•
Prices
•
Principle of effectiveness
•
Principle of equal treatment
•
Principle of equivalence
•
Principle of proportionality
•
Private enforcement
•
Privatization
•
Procedural autonomy
•
Professional association
•
Public procurement
•
Public undertaking
R
Referral (merger)
•
Refusal to deal
•
Regulated prices
•
Regulation
•
Relevant market
•
Remedies (antitrust)
•
Remedies (antitrust)
•
Request for information
•
Resale price maintenance (RPM)
•
Resale-below-cost
•
Restriction on exportation
•
Right against self-incrimination
•
Rights of defence
•
Rule of reason
S
Sector inquiry
•
Selective distribution
•
Services of general economic interest
•
Single branding
•
Sole control
•
Spill-over effects
•
Standard-Essential Patent (SEP)
•
State action defense
•
State aid (compatibility)
•
State aid (existing aid)
•
State aid (notification)
•
State aid (notion)
•
State aid (recovery)
•
State aid (tax ruling)
•
State aid (unlawful aid)
•
State measure
•
Substitutability
•
Sudden break of established business relationships