Europäisches Beihilfenrecht Blog

State Aid Uncovered by Prof Phedon Nicolaides

In Lexxions Blog „State Aid Uncovered” veröffentlicht Prof. Phedon Nicolaides wöchentlich kritische Analysen zu den neuesten Urteilen und Entscheidungen zu staatlichen Beihilfen. Jeder Beitrag stellt die wichtigsten Punkte eines Gerichtsurteils oder einer EU-Kommissionsentscheidung vor, ordnet sie in den Kontext ähnlicher Rechtsprechung oder Praxis ein, bewertet die zugrundeliegende Argumentation und zeigt etwaige Ungereimtheiten oder Widersprüche auf.

In loser Folge werden auf diesem Blog auch Gastbeiträge von anderen Experten für staatliche Beihilfen veröffentlicht, welche die Inhalte der Blogbeiträge ergänzen.

Jetzt abonnieren!

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

12. August 2021  |   Guest State Aid Blog von Lexxion Publisher

The European Commission’s Opening Decision in the German Lignite Phase-Out Case – Part I.
State Aid Blogs - koenig1 artyom korshunov NWByxwVN J0 unsplash
The article is based on a legal opinion, that was given to LEAG. Introduction The European Green Deal envisages a clean and decarbonised energy sector with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.[1] These ambitious objectives entrust the Member States with enormous tasks in connection with the transformation process, which must always be designed in a proportionate manner. For this purpose, […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
10. August 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

When Do Legal Exemptions Constitute State Aid?
State Aid Blogs - 32 ibrahim boran r0zrjWheW2g unsplash 1
Exemption from a fine does not constitute State aid when it is based on transparent and pre-determined criteria. Infringement of EU law determines the compatibility of State aid, not the existence of State aid. Introduction An exemption from legal requirements that confers a selective advantage does not necessarily amount to State aid. In most cases, when beneficiaries are found not […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
3. August 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Methods for Determining Property Value
State Aid Blogs - luke thornton yRo4KoUSBBw unsplash
Member States may use different methods for determining the value of property as long as they produce similar results. Introduction The base for property taxation is normally the value of the property, not size or location. The difficulty in determining the value of property is that land or buildings have no intrinsic value. It all depends on the purpose for […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
29. Juli 2021  |   Guest State Aid Blog von Lexxion Publisher

Pre- Notifications, Preliminary Investigations and the Rights of Third Parties in State Aid Procedures – Beware of the Black Hole!
State Aid Blogs - nicholas doherty pONBhDyOFoM unsplash
The persistently cautious approach of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to recognizing any really meaningful rights for third parties in State aid proceedings before the European Commission as well as in judicial proceedings is well-known and frequently criticized. With the recent adoption of the new Climate Law at the end of June and the official launch […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
27. Juli 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

A Rare Commission Decision on an SGEI Measure that Could Have Been Exempted from Notification
State Aid Blogs - juliana malta Uy0Bq8vYjk4 unsplash
A public service obligation must be imposed by an act of entrustment that describes in detail the terms of the obligation, identifies the undertaking that offers the service and lays down procedures for preventing over-compensation. Introduction The purpose of Commission Decision 2012/21 on services of general economic interest [SGEI] is, like the GBER, to exempt certain aid measures from prior […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
20. Juli 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The Italian Health System Is not Economic in Nature
State Aid Blogs - 29 camilo jimenez vGu08RYjO s unsplash 1
Certain elements of competition that raise efficiency do not undermine the social solidarity foundations of a health care system. Introduction A question that has been addressed by the Court of Justice but not in sufficient detail is whether the providers of non-economic health services can compete with each other. The answer is conditionally affirmative. Competition that does not undermine the […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
15. Juli 2021  |   Guest State Aid Blog von Lexxion Publisher

Public Support to Ultrafast Networks in the Italian NRRP
State Aid Blogs - sara gobbato post john barkiple l090uFWoPaI unsplash 1
As part of the investments to support the digitisation, innovation and competitiveness of the production system[1], the Italian Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) has allocated €6.71 billion for interventions in favor of ultra-fast networks (ultra-broadband and 5G)[2]. The amount will be deployed by 2026 to achieve the objectives defined in the “Italian Strategy for ultra-broadband”[3] in accordance with the EU […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
13. Juli 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Existing Aid, New Aid and Retroactive Application of a Block Exemption Regulation
State Aid Blogs - 28 reuben teo XvxFqD3uUEk unsplash 16.9
Changes to approved aid measures result in new aid. Only purely formal or administrative changes do not turn existing aid into new. Prolongation of an existing aid measure is not purely formal or administrative. Introduction Any change to an approved aid measure that affects its compatibility with the internal market turns it into a new aid that has to be […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
8. Juli 2021  |   Guest State Aid Blog von Alexander Rose

The UK’s New Subsidy Control Bill: Targeting a Faster, More Permissive Regime Than EU State Aid Rules
The long awaited Subsidy Control Bill has been published by the UK Government with bold promises that it will “create a new system for subsidies that can enable key domestic priorities, such as levelling up economic growth across the UK and driving our green industrial revolution“.  In this article we identify the main changes immediately emerging from the draft legislation, […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
6. Juli 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Disentangling the Impact of Covid-19 from other Business Problems
State Aid Blogs - 27 jan rosolino MlNcS rrU6k unsplash 1
State aid may only compensate for the direct damage caused by covid-19. Introduction Aid that compensates for damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences is declared by Article 107(2)(b) TFEU to be compatible with the internal market. That is why Article 1(4)(c) of the GBER does not exclude, as is normally the practice, undertakings in difficulty from schemes that […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
« Vorherige SeiteNächste Seite »

13. April 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

State Guarantee to an Energy Project
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost15 gas
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 initial investment cost and the present value of their expected net operating revenue which is the future gross revenue minus […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
6. April 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Lease Contracts and Competitive Selection
State Aid Blogs - cow 2436354 1920
Vague award criteria can be discriminatory and harm the transparency of the selection procedure. 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. According to the complaint, the Ministry had granted unlawful […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
30. März 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

“Global” Assessment of Tax Schemes
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost13 Barcelona
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 recovered must the provisions that apply to the specific circumstances of individual tax […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
23. März 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Exclusive Rights and State Aid
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost12 Poste Italiane
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 different from market services. Introduction Article 106(1) TFEU requires Member States not to distort competition when they grant […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
16. März 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The Pan-European Guarantee Fund: The First State Aid Instrument at EU Level
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost11 Funds
The Fund managed by the EIB constitutes State aid granted collectively by participating Member States. Introduction One of the many responses of the European Union to the economic harm wreaked by the pandemic was the establishment of the Pan-European Guarantee Fund [the Fund] by the European Investment Bank. Member States were invited to contribute to the Fund. This is both […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
9. März 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Can the Decision of a Private Entity be Imputed to the State?
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost7 Bank Italy
A measure is imputable to the state whenever the state is involved in its adoption or shapes the decision that leads to its adoption. 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. Private […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
2. März 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

State Aid May be Limited to Undertakings with Close Links with the National Economy (Part II)
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost8 9 Ryanair
State aid may be used to compensate airlines licensed by domestic authorities for losses incurred as a result of national travel restrictions. [In case you have missed part I, you can access it here.] 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 […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
23. Februar 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

State Aid May be Limited to Undertakings with Close Links with the National Economy (Part I)
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost8 9 Ryanair
State aid may be used to compensate airlines licensed by domestic authorities for losses incurred as a result of national travel restrictions. 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 covid-19. The Temporary Framework was welcomed by both Member States and […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
16. Februar 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Liquidity Assistance to Banks to Counter the Effects of Covid-19
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost7 Bank Italy
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 excludes financial institutions. But it does not mean that banks do not benefit indirectly from State aid granted to other sectors of the economy. This […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
9. Februar 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The State Acting as a Regulator
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost6 NL gambling
When the state acts as a regulator, it does not have to charge a licence fee that maximises its revenue. Introduction Governments can influence the allocation of resources with at least three instruments: subsidisation, taxation and regulation. All three may contain State aid; if subsidies are selective, if taxes allow for exemptions and if regulation involves charges which are not […]
Mehr lesen
Keine Kommentare
« Vorherige SeiteNächste Seite »

Sie möchten einen Beitrag einreichen oder zur Weiterentwicklung des Blogs State Aid Uncovered beitragen? Weitere Details finden Sie auf der englischsprachigen Seite.

Gastbeitrag einreichen

Abonnieren Sie unseren Newsletter, um aktuelle Informationen über rechtliche Entwicklungen, bevorstehende Konferenzen, Seminare und Publikationen zu erhalten.

Bleiben Sie auf dem Laufenden: Newsletter Abonnement