Europäisches Beihilfenrecht Blog

State Aid Uncovered Blog

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.

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

22. September 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The Pricing of Access to an Important Project of Common European Interest

State Aid Blogs - m 7 2

State Aid Blogs - m 7 2

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 must be necessary and proportional even if access fees are regulated. Introduction This article examines Commission decision SA.39078 concerning the Fehmarn belt fixed link in Denmark.[1] This […]

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15. September 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Compensation for Public Service Obligations and Compensation for Damage

State Aid Blogs - m 6 3

State Aid Blogs - m 6 3

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 the PSO are clearly identified and separated from other commercial activities and the compensation does not exceed the net extra costs of the PSO. Compensation […]

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8. September 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Services of General Economic Interest: How to Compensate and Induce more Efficiency

State Aid Blogs - m 5 3

State Aid Blogs - m 5 3

Even traditional monopolists, like postal operators, have to comply with the rules on compensation for the extra costs of public service obligations. SGEI providers can be compensated in a way that induces them to become more efficient. Introduction This article examines case Commission decision SA.38788 concerning compensation for the UK Post Office Ltd [POL] in the period 2015-18.[1] It is […]

Ein Kommentar

2. September 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

When Do Public Pronouncements Confer an Advantage to Undertakings?

State Aid Blogs - m 4 3

State Aid Blogs - m 4 3

Public pronouncements can confer an advantage if they are sufficiently precise and clearly commit a public authority to support an undertaking. Introduction[1] Politicians often claim that they would never allow important national companies to go bust. Occasionally, such claims appear to sway market sentiment in favour of those companies. Private investors are heartened by the avowed support of the […]

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1. September 2015 | Guest State Aid Blog von Lexxion Publisher

Court’s Diary – September 2015

gavel

gavel

Any comments on #Stateaid? Get in touch: Stateaidhub[at]lexxion.eu Thursday 03/09/2015 Judgment in Case C-89/14 – A2A (Court of Justice – Fifth Chamber)Tuesday 08/09/2015 Hearing in Case T-103/14 – Frucona Košice v Commission (General Court – Second Chamber)Thursday 17/09/2015 Judgment in Case C-33/14 P – Mory and Others v Commission (Court of Justice – Third Chamber) Friday 18/09/2015 Judgment […]

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25. August 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The Challenge of Calculating a Market Price

State Aid Blogs - m 10 2

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 GmbH [BVVG] v Landkreis Jerichower Land in Germany.[1] The judgment was in response to a request for a preliminary ruling concerning a dispute […]

Ein Kommentar

18. August 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Why Do some Member States Offer so much Fiscal Aid?

State Aid Blogs - StateaidHub blogpost11 Lexxion 2019 Tax Commission EU judgement

Member States differ significantly in their propensity to grant fiscal aid. Introduction Interest in fiscal aid has been rekindled recently by two unrelated events. First, the Commission opened a number of investigations on the alleged special tax treatment accorded to multinational companies such as Apple and Starbucks. These investigations are believed to be almost completed and the Commission is […]

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11. August 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Ex post Evaluation of State Aid Measures

State Aid Blogs - 21.11.State resources State control

Ex post evaluation is not just a “pillar” of State Aid Modernisation. It is also an indispensable tool for understanding the impact and effectiveness of State aid. State aid modernisation and decentralisation One of the pillars of the Commission’s State Aid Modernisation initiative is the decentralisation of responsibility for the implementation of State aid measures. The decentralisation works by […]

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4. August 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The Use and Abuse of De Minimis Aid & State Resources

State Aid Blogs - m 9 2

State Aid Blogs - m 9 2

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. Aid measures which are funded by beneficiaries themselves are unlikely to constitute State aid. Introduction This article reviews two cases that, among other things, deal with the use and abuse of de minimis aid […]

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28. Juli 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The Market Economy Investor Principle Applies also to Avoidance of Losses

State Aid Blogs - m 11 2

State Aid Blogs - m 11 2

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 operator invests to make profit, its underlying logic is the same as when it pays to avoid losses. In both cases it is […]

Ein Kommentar

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30. Mai 2014 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The Importance of Precise Definition of Public Service Obligations

ship

ship

The imposition of a public service obligation must be preceded by market analysis that shows that the market underprovides. For compensation of public service obligations to be compatible aid, it must satisfy the first three Altmark criteria. Surprisingly, the first three Altmark criteria must also be satisfied [in addition to the 4th criterion] for public service compensation in order not to constitute […]

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20. Mai 2014 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Market Operator in Electricity Distribution: Long-term Purchasing Agreements Must Balance Risks and Rewards

electricity wires

electricity wires

A market operator accepts to be bound in long-term contracts, which entail more risk because market conditions may change, only when he gets compensated with more certainty that costs will remain stable. Contractual clauses which vary from standard commercial practice are suspect. A measure can be selective even when it uses objective criteria to define eligible beneficiaries. Trade can be affected and competition […]

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13. Mai 2014 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The Perils of Ex Post Compensation of Public Services Obligations

bus

bus

Providers of SGEI must maintain separate accounts. Parameters of compensation must be determined in advance. Ex-post formulation is not in conformity with State aid rules. Ex-post calculation of compensation that covers all costs and eliminates commercial risk is not compatible with State aid rules. Introduction The calculation of the compensation to be offered to providers of services of general economic interest […]

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2. Mai 2014 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The New Guidelines on State Aid for Environmental Protection and Energy, 2014-2020

recycle sign

recycle sign

The new guidelines are wider in scope: They also cover energy infrastructure, energy capacity and reductions from electricity levies. The new guidelines have higher thresholds for individual notifications. They allow higher aid intensity when aid is granted through competitive bidding. They require more rigorous application of the principles of necessity and proportionality of aid. Introduction In 2012, the latest year for which […]

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25. April 2014 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

A Textbook Case of False Arguments: T-150/12, Greece v Commission

court building

court building

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 their competitors in intra-EU trade do not receive the same aid from the same source. Even small amounts of aid can disturb intra-EU trade where there is strong cross-border competition. The European Commission is not […]

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22. April 2014 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Two Judgments: a) Unlimited State Guarantees and b) The Discretion of the Commission in Restructuring Measures

gavel

gavel

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 legal context in which the state assumes certain obligations towards creditors. The Commission may impose both structural and behavioural remedies on recipients of restructuring aid These remedies may cover sectors other than the main sector in which […]

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14. April 2014 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The Importance of a Correct Framing of the Private Creditor and Private Investor Tests

people in backlight

people in backlight

A public authority acting as private creditor must exhaust all legally available means of recovering money owed to it. A private creditor may agree to an amicable arrangement – depending on the complexity and duration of legal proceedings, the value of the collateral it holds and the chances of long-term viability of the debtor – if it results in repayment of […]

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4. April 2014 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Guidance on the Application of Regulation 1370/2007 on Passenger Transport Services

train entering station

train entering station

Public service obligations may only be imposed where the market does not provide adequate services in terms of price and/or quality. The selection of service providers must respect the principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination, even when public procurement procedures may not apply. Compensation must be based on contracts which contain a precise definition of the public service and parameters on how […]

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28. März 2014 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Competitive Elements in the Selection of Operators of Sports Infrastructure May not Be Enough to Eliminate State Aid

sport arena seats

sport arena seats

The existence of an advantage cannot be excluded when the operator of an infrastructural facility is chosen through a competitive procedure which combines price with other selection criteria. The users of a subsidised infrastructural facility who pay a market fee may still derive an advantage when the facility is designed and/or reserved for certain usage. Introduction Ever since the Leipzig-Halle […]

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21. März 2014 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Public Funding of Projects that Encounter Financial Problems

motorway

motorway

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 runs into financial trouble and, as a result, is likely to be abandoned without the aid. Introduction In two decisions in December 2013, the European Commission authorised State aid for two […]

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