The EU Commission approves public aid in the form of services of general economic interest compensation (Sumburgh Airport)

Introduction The European Commission has closed by a compatibility decision a State aid enquiry in the Sumburgh Airport case concerning public financial support granted in the form of SGEI compensation to the Scotland-based airport of Sumburgh [1]. After establishing that the UK authorities has correctly qualified the Sumburgh Airport as a genuine service of general economic interest (SGEI), the Commission found that the aid in question was a compensation for the discharge of the public service obligations (PSO) imposed on the airport. Since the measure in question met the applicable compatibility conditions laid down by the SGEI Framework, the Commission stated that the aid qualified for the SGEI exception in Article 106(2) TFEU and approved it. The facts of the case The Sumburgh