State Aid Law Blog

State Aid Uncovered Blog

In Lexxion’s State Aid Uncovered blog, Prof. Phedon Nicolaides publishes weekly critical analyses of recent State aid judgments and decisions. Each post presents the key points of a court judgment or EU Commission decision, places it in the context of similar case law or practice, assesses the underlying reasoning and highlights any inconsistencies or contradictions.

Guest contributions from other State aid experts will also be published on the blog at irregular intervals to complement the content of the blog posts.

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State Aid Uncovered ×

13. October 2020  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Market Economy Operator Principle: The Case of FIH
State Aid Blogs - danish currency 1139103 1920
Negotiated transactions are not necessarily market conform. Update on Temporary Framework: Number of approved and published covid-19 measures, as of 9 October 2020: 295* Legal basis: Article 107(2)(b): 32; Article 107(3)(b): 248; Article 107(3)(c): 23 – Average number of measures per Member State: 10.5 – Median number of measures per Member State: 12 – Mode number of measures per Member […]
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No Comments
5. May 2020  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Non-recovery of Incompatible State aid Is Costly
corona virus poster
Legal and practical difficulties in the recovery of incompatible State aid do not constitute justifiable “absolute impossibility”. Temporary Framework On 1 May, the total number of State aid measures to combat covid-19 approved by the European Commission reached 102. Their legal basis was: Article 107(2)(b): 9; Article 107(3)(b): 86; Article 107(3)(c): 7   Introduction The 2020 Temporary Framework for State […]
read more
2 Comments
23. December 2019  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

A Preferential Electricity Tariff Is Selective, Confers an Advantage and Distorts Competition
State Aid Blogs - StateAidUncovered blogpost53 Alouminion
A judicial decision on interim measures is a selective measure. The private investor test does not apply to judicial decisions on interim measures. Introduction On 11 December 2019, in case C‑332/18 P, Mytilinaios Anonymos Etairia — Omilos Epicheiriseon v European Commission, the Court of Justice probably wrote the last chapter in a long-running case concerning privileges that had been granted […]
read more
No Comments
17. December 2019  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Can a Tax (rather than a Tax Exemption) Confer a Selective Advantage?
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost52 Stateaid Lexxion TAX Water Spain European Commission
A tax that is levied at one level of government and does not apply to products and activities at a different level of government need not be selective. Introduction A tax exemption normally confers a selective advantage, unless it is justified by the logic of the tax. Counterintuitively, a tax itself can be selectively advantageous if its scope is too […]
read more
No Comments
3. December 2019  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Separability of Economic from Non-economic Activities
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost50 2019 lexxion economy printing non economic Stateaid SGEI
Activities which are inseparable from the exercise of official powers are non-economic. Introduction   Pure research whose results are widely disseminated is undoubtedly a non-economic activity. Research reports are often published on the internet. But the design and management of a research organisation’s website can be an economic activity. Plenty of private companies provide these services for a fee. Does […]
read more
2 Comments
16. July 2019  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Investor Protection and Existing Aid
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost28 Investment Romania StateAid Commission EU Lexxion
Aid granted before accession to the EU may not be assessed by the Commission. Introduction It is fairly safe to say that in the sixty years of case law on State aid, the Court of Justice has ruled that there are just four instances in which payment of public money to an undertaking does not constitute State aid on the […]
read more
No Comments
13. September 2016  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Burden-Sharing and State Aid to Banks
State Aid Blogs - m 18 1
Creditors must contribute to the recovery of banks before State aid is granted. Burden-sharing by creditors in the recovery of banks does not deprive them of their right to property.   Introduction On 19 July 2016, the Court of Justice rendered its judgment in case C‑526/14, Tadej Kotnik and others v Državni zbor Republike Slovenije.[1] The judgment was in response to a […]
read more
No Comments
23. March 2016  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Compensatory Payments Can still Confer an Advantage
State Aid Blogs - m 33 1
Membership of a compulsory insurance scheme can still confer an advantage to participating undertakings. Private contributions can still become state resources if they are paid into a fund that is managed by the state. Member States always have the option to ask for a measure to be assessed directly on the basis of the Treaty but they have to justify […]
read more
No Comments
1. February 2016  |   Guest State Aid Blog by Lexxion Publisher

Court’s Diary – February 2016
State Aid Blogs - m 33
Find below the court’s diary for all State aid cases. Would you like to write a comment on one of them? Please don’t hesitate and get in touch with us ([email protected]), we are happy to publish your comment on the blog   Thursday 04/02/2016 Judgment in Case T-287/11 – Heitkamp BauHolding v Commission (General Court – Ninth Chamber) Judgment in […]
read more
No Comments
29. June 2015  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Levying of Charges to Maintain Equal Treatment Is Not Necessarily Selective
State Aid Blogs - SAH blogpost37 Hinkley Point C UK 2017
The standard of proof of whether a measure is selective depends on whether that measure is a scheme or a grant of individual aid. Measures providing for exemption are by definition selective. Measures that impose additional charges for the purpose of maintaining equality between operators are not necessarily selective even if the responsible authorities retain a degree of discretion in […]
read more
2 Comments
Next Page »

State Aid Uncovered ×

13. October 2020  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Market Economy Operator Principle: The Case of FIH
State Aid Blogs - danish currency 1139103 1920
Negotiated transactions are not necessarily market conform. Update on Temporary Framework: Number of approved and published covid-19 measures, as of 9 October 2020: 295* Legal basis: Article 107(2)(b): 32; Article 107(3)(b): 248; Article 107(3)(c): 23 – Average number of measures per Member State: 10.5 – Median number of measures per Member State: 12 – Mode number of measures per Member […]
read more
No Comments
5. May 2020  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Non-recovery of Incompatible State aid Is Costly
corona virus poster
Legal and practical difficulties in the recovery of incompatible State aid do not constitute justifiable “absolute impossibility”. Temporary Framework On 1 May, the total number of State aid measures to combat covid-19 approved by the European Commission reached 102. Their legal basis was: Article 107(2)(b): 9; Article 107(3)(b): 86; Article 107(3)(c): 7   Introduction The 2020 Temporary Framework for State […]
read more
2 Comments
23. December 2019  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

A Preferential Electricity Tariff Is Selective, Confers an Advantage and Distorts Competition
State Aid Blogs - StateAidUncovered blogpost53 Alouminion
A judicial decision on interim measures is a selective measure. The private investor test does not apply to judicial decisions on interim measures. Introduction On 11 December 2019, in case C‑332/18 P, Mytilinaios Anonymos Etairia — Omilos Epicheiriseon v European Commission, the Court of Justice probably wrote the last chapter in a long-running case concerning privileges that had been granted […]
read more
No Comments
17. December 2019  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Can a Tax (rather than a Tax Exemption) Confer a Selective Advantage?
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost52 Stateaid Lexxion TAX Water Spain European Commission
A tax that is levied at one level of government and does not apply to products and activities at a different level of government need not be selective. Introduction A tax exemption normally confers a selective advantage, unless it is justified by the logic of the tax. Counterintuitively, a tax itself can be selectively advantageous if its scope is too […]
read more
No Comments
3. December 2019  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Separability of Economic from Non-economic Activities
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost50 2019 lexxion economy printing non economic Stateaid SGEI
Activities which are inseparable from the exercise of official powers are non-economic. Introduction   Pure research whose results are widely disseminated is undoubtedly a non-economic activity. Research reports are often published on the internet. But the design and management of a research organisation’s website can be an economic activity. Plenty of private companies provide these services for a fee. Does […]
read more
2 Comments
16. July 2019  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Investor Protection and Existing Aid
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost28 Investment Romania StateAid Commission EU Lexxion
Aid granted before accession to the EU may not be assessed by the Commission. Introduction It is fairly safe to say that in the sixty years of case law on State aid, the Court of Justice has ruled that there are just four instances in which payment of public money to an undertaking does not constitute State aid on the […]
read more
No Comments
13. September 2016  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Burden-Sharing and State Aid to Banks
State Aid Blogs - m 18 1
Creditors must contribute to the recovery of banks before State aid is granted. Burden-sharing by creditors in the recovery of banks does not deprive them of their right to property.   Introduction On 19 July 2016, the Court of Justice rendered its judgment in case C‑526/14, Tadej Kotnik and others v Državni zbor Republike Slovenije.[1] The judgment was in response to a […]
read more
No Comments
23. March 2016  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Compensatory Payments Can still Confer an Advantage
State Aid Blogs - m 33 1
Membership of a compulsory insurance scheme can still confer an advantage to participating undertakings. Private contributions can still become state resources if they are paid into a fund that is managed by the state. Member States always have the option to ask for a measure to be assessed directly on the basis of the Treaty but they have to justify […]
read more
No Comments
1. February 2016  |   Guest State Aid Blog by Lexxion Publisher

Court’s Diary – February 2016
State Aid Blogs - m 33
Find below the court’s diary for all State aid cases. Would you like to write a comment on one of them? Please don’t hesitate and get in touch with us ([email protected]), we are happy to publish your comment on the blog   Thursday 04/02/2016 Judgment in Case T-287/11 – Heitkamp BauHolding v Commission (General Court – Ninth Chamber) Judgment in […]
read more
No Comments
29. June 2015  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Levying of Charges to Maintain Equal Treatment Is Not Necessarily Selective
State Aid Blogs - SAH blogpost37 Hinkley Point C UK 2017
The standard of proof of whether a measure is selective depends on whether that measure is a scheme or a grant of individual aid. Measures providing for exemption are by definition selective. Measures that impose additional charges for the purpose of maintaining equality between operators are not necessarily selective even if the responsible authorities retain a degree of discretion in […]
read more
2 Comments
Next Page »

State Aid Uncovered ×

13. October 2020  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Market Economy Operator Principle: The Case of FIH
State Aid Blogs - danish currency 1139103 1920
Negotiated transactions are not necessarily market conform. Update on Temporary Framework: Number of approved and published covid-19 measures, as of 9 October 2020: 295* Legal basis: Article 107(2)(b): 32; Article 107(3)(b): 248; Article 107(3)(c): 23 – Average number of measures per Member State: 10.5 – Median number of measures per Member State: 12 – Mode number of measures per Member […]
read more
No Comments
5. May 2020  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Non-recovery of Incompatible State aid Is Costly
corona virus poster
Legal and practical difficulties in the recovery of incompatible State aid do not constitute justifiable “absolute impossibility”. Temporary Framework On 1 May, the total number of State aid measures to combat covid-19 approved by the European Commission reached 102. Their legal basis was: Article 107(2)(b): 9; Article 107(3)(b): 86; Article 107(3)(c): 7   Introduction The 2020 Temporary Framework for State […]
read more
2 Comments
23. December 2019  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

A Preferential Electricity Tariff Is Selective, Confers an Advantage and Distorts Competition
State Aid Blogs - StateAidUncovered blogpost53 Alouminion
A judicial decision on interim measures is a selective measure. The private investor test does not apply to judicial decisions on interim measures. Introduction On 11 December 2019, in case C‑332/18 P, Mytilinaios Anonymos Etairia — Omilos Epicheiriseon v European Commission, the Court of Justice probably wrote the last chapter in a long-running case concerning privileges that had been granted […]
read more
No Comments
17. December 2019  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Can a Tax (rather than a Tax Exemption) Confer a Selective Advantage?
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost52 Stateaid Lexxion TAX Water Spain European Commission
A tax that is levied at one level of government and does not apply to products and activities at a different level of government need not be selective. Introduction A tax exemption normally confers a selective advantage, unless it is justified by the logic of the tax. Counterintuitively, a tax itself can be selectively advantageous if its scope is too […]
read more
No Comments
3. December 2019  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Separability of Economic from Non-economic Activities
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost50 2019 lexxion economy printing non economic Stateaid SGEI
Activities which are inseparable from the exercise of official powers are non-economic. Introduction   Pure research whose results are widely disseminated is undoubtedly a non-economic activity. Research reports are often published on the internet. But the design and management of a research organisation’s website can be an economic activity. Plenty of private companies provide these services for a fee. Does […]
read more
2 Comments
16. July 2019  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Investor Protection and Existing Aid
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost28 Investment Romania StateAid Commission EU Lexxion
Aid granted before accession to the EU may not be assessed by the Commission. Introduction It is fairly safe to say that in the sixty years of case law on State aid, the Court of Justice has ruled that there are just four instances in which payment of public money to an undertaking does not constitute State aid on the […]
read more
No Comments
13. September 2016  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Burden-Sharing and State Aid to Banks
State Aid Blogs - m 18 1
Creditors must contribute to the recovery of banks before State aid is granted. Burden-sharing by creditors in the recovery of banks does not deprive them of their right to property.   Introduction On 19 July 2016, the Court of Justice rendered its judgment in case C‑526/14, Tadej Kotnik and others v Državni zbor Republike Slovenije.[1] The judgment was in response to a […]
read more
No Comments
23. March 2016  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Compensatory Payments Can still Confer an Advantage
State Aid Blogs - m 33 1
Membership of a compulsory insurance scheme can still confer an advantage to participating undertakings. Private contributions can still become state resources if they are paid into a fund that is managed by the state. Member States always have the option to ask for a measure to be assessed directly on the basis of the Treaty but they have to justify […]
read more
No Comments
1. February 2016  |   Guest State Aid Blog by Lexxion Publisher

Court’s Diary – February 2016
State Aid Blogs - m 33
Find below the court’s diary for all State aid cases. Would you like to write a comment on one of them? Please don’t hesitate and get in touch with us ([email protected]), we are happy to publish your comment on the blog   Thursday 04/02/2016 Judgment in Case T-287/11 – Heitkamp BauHolding v Commission (General Court – Ninth Chamber) Judgment in […]
read more
No Comments
29. June 2015  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Levying of Charges to Maintain Equal Treatment Is Not Necessarily Selective
State Aid Blogs - SAH blogpost37 Hinkley Point C UK 2017
The standard of proof of whether a measure is selective depends on whether that measure is a scheme or a grant of individual aid. Measures providing for exemption are by definition selective. Measures that impose additional charges for the purpose of maintaining equality between operators are not necessarily selective even if the responsible authorities retain a degree of discretion in […]
read more
2 Comments
Next Page »

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