State Aid Law Blog

State Aid Uncovered by Prof Phedon Nicolaides

On a weekly basis Phedon Nicolaides posts critical analysis pieces on the latest State aid judgments and decisions on his blog State Aid Uncovered. Each article presents the main points of a court ruling or Commission‘s decision, places them in the context of similar case law or practice, assesses the underlying reasoning, and identifies any inconsistencies or contradictions.
Occasional guest blog posts by other State aid experts complement the State aid knowledge hub.

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Professor at Maastricht University; Professor at University of Nicosia, and Academic Director at Lexxion Training

State Aid for Nuclear Power: No Thanks! Maybe? Yes Please!

The Commission’s decision on the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station of 8th October 2014 and what this might mean for the approach to nuclear energy… In 2014, the European Commission adopted new Guidelines on State aid for energy and the environment. These were followed by the adoption of a new General Block Exemption Regulation that also included measures relating to energy […]

Tax Rulings and State Aid: Now or Never

This comment looks at the Commission’s decisions to open in-depth investigations into the tax treatment of Apple, Starbucks and Fiat Finance and Trade by Ireland, The Netherlands and Luxembourg.   The European Commission has recently opened three in-depth investigations under Article 108(2) TFEU concerning tax rulings in Ireland, The Netherlands and Luxembourg with regard to the corporate income tax to be paid by Apple, Starbucks […]

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 market valuations.   IntroductionMany local authorities own land or regulate the use of land. They also sell or buy land. […]

Recovery of State Aid and Penalty for Failing to Recover Incompatible Aid

Extension of an existing aid measure results in the granting of new aid. Only conditions of absolute impossibility can justify non-recovery of incompatible aid. Member States have to exhaust all possible options to recover incompatible aid and, if necessary, have to force the closure of the recipient of the aid. IntroductionIn this article I examine two recent judgments both of […]

Reduction of Property Taxes and Electricity Tariffs

Relief from property tax is State aid even when the user of the property is involved in defence contracts. Providing cheaper electricity to a few manufacturers cannot be considered to be an appropriate measure for regional development. Introduction This article summarises several judgments which were delivered in October 2014. They concern a tax exemption in Spain and reduction of electricity […]

The Market Economy Investor Test Applied to a Financially Troubled Company

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 private investors, it cannot be considered to be “pari passu” with the private participation. Public funding into a financially troubled company can still be […]

A Measure is Selective if its Application is Narrower than the Scope of the Objective it Seeks to Achieve

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 undertakings than the ones to which it can potentially apply by its own defined objectives. Introduction   This article examines Commission Decision 2014/686 on a guarantee […]

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?

For a measure to constitute State aid, it must, among other things, be attributed to a decision of the state. When a State aid granting decision is made in contravention of the procedural rules of an organisation controlled by the state, the decision can still be attributed to the state, unless it can be shown that the state would have […]

Advantage from High Entry Prices: Can It Be That Both the Commission and the General Court Have Misunderstood Simple Economics?

Price regulation can constitute State aid if the state forgoes potential revenue. However, for price regulation to constitute State aid it must satisfy all of the criteria in Article 107(1). Price regulation that affects all competitors proportionately does not confer an advantage and therefore does not constitute State aid. Introduction   On 11 September 2014, the General Court, in case […]

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

The only defence for non-recovery of incompatible State aid is absolute impossibility. Obstacles in domestic legal proceedings may result in absolute impossibility, but Member States have an obligation to inform the Commission and national courts have to seek guidance from the Court of Justice of the European Union. Introduction   This article deals with two aspects of the recovery of […]

How to Submit a Blog Post

Do you want to share your analysis of a State aid law topic? We invite you to submit your post on, for example: recent European, national or international judgments or legislation with relevance to EU State aid law; new developments, publications, hot topics in EU State aid law. The recommended length of the post is 500-2,000 words incl. references (endnotes). Your analysis will be published under the category ‘Guest State Aid Blog’.

Here’s how you can publish a post on the Blog as a guest author:

Step 1: Submit your draft to Nelly Stratieva at [email protected].

Step 2: We at Lexxion will review your draft to make sure its content and quality fit the blog. If needed, they will suggest what improvements you should make.

Step 3: Once your draft has been finalised and accepted, we will publish your post.

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