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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- Compensation for damage ×

27. November 2023  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Compensation for Damage Caused by COVID-19 May be Limited to the Undertakings that Are Most Important to the Economy of a Member Stat
State Aid Blogs - Untitled design 28
Introduction On 23 November 2023, Ryanair lost another appeal before the Court of Justice. The Court ruled, in case C-210/21 P, Ryanair v Commission, that the General Court was right to dismiss Ryanair’s request for annulment of a Commission decision that had authorised French aid to compensate airlines for the damage they suffered as a result of the covid-19-related travel […]
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20. December 2022  |   by Phedon Nicolaides

Compensation for Damage
State Aid Blogs - State Aid Uncovered SM posts 2
Introduction On 9 November 2022, the General Court followed its previous judgments in cases concerning compensation for damage caused by the covid-19 pandemic to rule, in case T-111/21, Ryanair v European Commission, that Member States were free to choose to whom to grant State aid.[1] Ryanair had sought the annulment of Commission decision SA.55373 concerning damage compensation to Croatia Airlines […]
read more
No Comments
17. August 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

The Problem of Multiple Awards of Aid to the Undertaking and to the Same Group
State Aid Blogs - 33 jc gellidon 1g3qVp7ynX4 unsplash
Multiple awards of aid to the same undertaking are allowed as long as they cover different costs. Multiple awards of aid to the same group are allowed as long as aid does not leak from one undertaking in the group to another. Introduction In the first half of 2021, the General Court ruled in ten cases of appeal lodged by […]
read more
No Comments
6. July 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered by 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 […]
read more
No Comments
27. April 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Individual Aid Measures to Combat Covid-19
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost17 airline
Aid to remedy a serious economic disturbance may be granted to a single company that is important for the national economy. EU law does not extend to competitors a right to the same aid. Introduction Between March 2020 and April 2021, the European Commission has authorised aid totalling more than EUR 2.5 trillion to remedy the serious economic disturbance caused […]
read more
No Comments
31. March 2020  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

How to Make Good the Damage Caused by a Natural Disaster
State Aid Blogs - sergio torres nUw2nIGeGYY unsplash
Compensation for costs incurred as a result of a natural disaster is State aid. The compensation must be for damage directly caused by the natural disaster. Introduction State aid to make good the damage caused by an “exceptional occurrence” such as the corona virus covid-19 is compatible with the internal market. The legal basis for exemption is Article 107(2)(b). Of […]
read more
No Comments
15. September 2015  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Compensation for Public Service Obligations and Compensation for Damage
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 […]
read more
No Comments

- Compensation for damage ×

27. November 2023  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Compensation for Damage Caused by COVID-19 May be Limited to the Undertakings that Are Most Important to the Economy of a Member Stat
State Aid Blogs - Untitled design 28
Introduction On 23 November 2023, Ryanair lost another appeal before the Court of Justice. The Court ruled, in case C-210/21 P, Ryanair v Commission, that the General Court was right to dismiss Ryanair’s request for annulment of a Commission decision that had authorised French aid to compensate airlines for the damage they suffered as a result of the covid-19-related travel […]
read more
No Comments
20. December 2022  |   by Phedon Nicolaides

Compensation for Damage
State Aid Blogs - State Aid Uncovered SM posts 2
Introduction On 9 November 2022, the General Court followed its previous judgments in cases concerning compensation for damage caused by the covid-19 pandemic to rule, in case T-111/21, Ryanair v European Commission, that Member States were free to choose to whom to grant State aid.[1] Ryanair had sought the annulment of Commission decision SA.55373 concerning damage compensation to Croatia Airlines […]
read more
No Comments
17. August 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

The Problem of Multiple Awards of Aid to the Undertaking and to the Same Group
State Aid Blogs - 33 jc gellidon 1g3qVp7ynX4 unsplash
Multiple awards of aid to the same undertaking are allowed as long as they cover different costs. Multiple awards of aid to the same group are allowed as long as aid does not leak from one undertaking in the group to another. Introduction In the first half of 2021, the General Court ruled in ten cases of appeal lodged by […]
read more
No Comments
6. July 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered by 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 […]
read more
No Comments
27. April 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Individual Aid Measures to Combat Covid-19
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost17 airline
Aid to remedy a serious economic disturbance may be granted to a single company that is important for the national economy. EU law does not extend to competitors a right to the same aid. Introduction Between March 2020 and April 2021, the European Commission has authorised aid totalling more than EUR 2.5 trillion to remedy the serious economic disturbance caused […]
read more
No Comments
31. March 2020  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

How to Make Good the Damage Caused by a Natural Disaster
State Aid Blogs - sergio torres nUw2nIGeGYY unsplash
Compensation for costs incurred as a result of a natural disaster is State aid. The compensation must be for damage directly caused by the natural disaster. Introduction State aid to make good the damage caused by an “exceptional occurrence” such as the corona virus covid-19 is compatible with the internal market. The legal basis for exemption is Article 107(2)(b). Of […]
read more
No Comments
15. September 2015  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Compensation for Public Service Obligations and Compensation for Damage
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 […]
read more
No Comments

- Compensation for damage ×

27. November 2023  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Compensation for Damage Caused by COVID-19 May be Limited to the Undertakings that Are Most Important to the Economy of a Member Stat
State Aid Blogs - Untitled design 28
Introduction On 23 November 2023, Ryanair lost another appeal before the Court of Justice. The Court ruled, in case C-210/21 P, Ryanair v Commission, that the General Court was right to dismiss Ryanair’s request for annulment of a Commission decision that had authorised French aid to compensate airlines for the damage they suffered as a result of the covid-19-related travel […]
read more
No Comments
20. December 2022  |   by Phedon Nicolaides

Compensation for Damage
State Aid Blogs - State Aid Uncovered SM posts 2
Introduction On 9 November 2022, the General Court followed its previous judgments in cases concerning compensation for damage caused by the covid-19 pandemic to rule, in case T-111/21, Ryanair v European Commission, that Member States were free to choose to whom to grant State aid.[1] Ryanair had sought the annulment of Commission decision SA.55373 concerning damage compensation to Croatia Airlines […]
read more
No Comments
17. August 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

The Problem of Multiple Awards of Aid to the Undertaking and to the Same Group
State Aid Blogs - 33 jc gellidon 1g3qVp7ynX4 unsplash
Multiple awards of aid to the same undertaking are allowed as long as they cover different costs. Multiple awards of aid to the same group are allowed as long as aid does not leak from one undertaking in the group to another. Introduction In the first half of 2021, the General Court ruled in ten cases of appeal lodged by […]
read more
No Comments
6. July 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered by 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 […]
read more
No Comments
27. April 2021  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Individual Aid Measures to Combat Covid-19
State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost17 airline
Aid to remedy a serious economic disturbance may be granted to a single company that is important for the national economy. EU law does not extend to competitors a right to the same aid. Introduction Between March 2020 and April 2021, the European Commission has authorised aid totalling more than EUR 2.5 trillion to remedy the serious economic disturbance caused […]
read more
No Comments
31. March 2020  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

How to Make Good the Damage Caused by a Natural Disaster
State Aid Blogs - sergio torres nUw2nIGeGYY unsplash
Compensation for costs incurred as a result of a natural disaster is State aid. The compensation must be for damage directly caused by the natural disaster. Introduction State aid to make good the damage caused by an “exceptional occurrence” such as the corona virus covid-19 is compatible with the internal market. The legal basis for exemption is Article 107(2)(b). Of […]
read more
No Comments
15. September 2015  |   State Aid Uncovered by Phedon Nicolaides

Compensation for Public Service Obligations and Compensation for Damage
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 […]
read more
No Comments

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