State Aid Law Blog

State Aid Uncovered Blog

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.

Join the debate now!

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

Guest State Aid Blog ×

15th Jubilee Feature – State Aid Experts Paying Court to EStAL: Birgit Haslinger

Since 2002 Lexxion Publisher’s European State Aid Law Quarterly – EStAL serves as a forum for dialogue and deliberation on all issues related to State aid. On the occasion of our 15th anniversary special feature we have gathered our State aid family to reflect upon their joint journey together with our precious EStAL and of course our favourite topic State […]

A Postscript on Brexit and State Aid

A short note on the previous blog post on State aid control in the UK after its withdrawal from the EU.   A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on State aid control in the UK after its withdrawal from the European Union [http://stateaidhub.eu/blogs/stateaiduncovered/post/8330]. In that article I suggested that the UK would maintain the same or a similar […]

State Aid is on the Agenda: Deal or No Deal

With great pleasure we welcome again Professor Erika Szyszczak to our blog. Erika is a Research Professor in Law and a Fellow of the UK Trade Policy Observatory. She is currently the Special Adviser to the House of Lords Internal Market Sub-Committee in respect of its inquiry into Brexit: competition. She is the author of The Regulation of the State […]

Public Service Obligations and Award for Damages

Providers of public services must keep separate accounts. The parameters for calculating the compensation for the extra costs of public services must be determined in advance. Awards for damages do not constitute State aid. However, no damages can be awarded as a substitute for incompatible State aid.   Introduction It is often asked how compensation measures for public service obligations […]

New Video: How to notify State aid?

What is State aid? Why do I need to be concerned about State aid? These and many more basic questions are answered in our videos on YouTube. Make sure to visit us!   Today one of our speakers and Attaché for State aid of the Hungarian central administration, Peter Staviczky explains how you notify State aid to the European Commission. Find out how to […]

State Aid Goes YouTube: Visit Phedon Nicolaides on our YouTube Channel

What is State aid? Why do I need to be concerned about State aid? What is General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) and how to use it? These and many more basic questions will be answered in our videos on YouTube. Make sure to visit us!   With great pleasure we announce the beginning of a new era of e-learning about […]

Luxembourg, Amazon, and the State aid connection

The Commission’s opening decision: What should we make of Amazon’s ‘advance pricing agreement’ (APA) and its alleged (non-) compliance with the ‘arm’s length principle’ (ALP)? In early October 2014, the European Commission notified Luxembourg of its decision to open a state aid investigation in relation to the tax treatment of the Amazon group by the Luxembourgish tax authorities. This opening […]

Simultaneity of Investments by Public and Private Investors is a Necessary but not Sufficient Condition for Public Investments to be Free of State Aid

If a public authority guarantees a loan to a company that is in financial difficulty and charges a low premium, the whole loan, not just the difference between the market rate of premium and the rate actually charged, will be considered to be State aid. Simultaneous capital injection by public and private investors is not enough to eliminate State aid […]

SMEs Linked through Natural Persons

Two or more enterprises may constitute a single undertaking when their owners and/or managers are related in a way that they can act jointly to exercise influence over the decision of those enterprises. Introduction   On 27 February 2014, the Court of Justice rendered a judgment on the notion of “linked enterprises” following a request for preliminary ruling from a […]

The New Guidelines on State Aid to Airports and Airlines: Problematic Issues (part 2)

Introduction Last week I reviewed the main provisions of the new Guidelines on State Aid to Airports and Airlines. This week I focus on three issues which are either not well explained or too ambiguous, leaving too much room for creative interpretation. [1] Investment funding gap The new Guidelines, like the other new rules, stress that aid must have an incentive […]

Guest State Aid Blog ×

15th Jubilee Feature – State Aid Experts Paying Court to EStAL: Birgit Haslinger

Since 2002 Lexxion Publisher’s European State Aid Law Quarterly – EStAL serves as a forum for dialogue and deliberation on all issues related to State aid. On the occasion of our 15th anniversary special feature we have gathered our State aid family to reflect upon their joint journey together with our precious EStAL and of course our favourite topic State […]

A Postscript on Brexit and State Aid

A short note on the previous blog post on State aid control in the UK after its withdrawal from the EU.   A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on State aid control in the UK after its withdrawal from the European Union [http://stateaidhub.eu/blogs/stateaiduncovered/post/8330]. In that article I suggested that the UK would maintain the same or a similar […]

State Aid is on the Agenda: Deal or No Deal

With great pleasure we welcome again Professor Erika Szyszczak to our blog. Erika is a Research Professor in Law and a Fellow of the UK Trade Policy Observatory. She is currently the Special Adviser to the House of Lords Internal Market Sub-Committee in respect of its inquiry into Brexit: competition. She is the author of The Regulation of the State […]

Public Service Obligations and Award for Damages

Providers of public services must keep separate accounts. The parameters for calculating the compensation for the extra costs of public services must be determined in advance. Awards for damages do not constitute State aid. However, no damages can be awarded as a substitute for incompatible State aid.   Introduction It is often asked how compensation measures for public service obligations […]

New Video: How to notify State aid?

What is State aid? Why do I need to be concerned about State aid? These and many more basic questions are answered in our videos on YouTube. Make sure to visit us!   Today one of our speakers and Attaché for State aid of the Hungarian central administration, Peter Staviczky explains how you notify State aid to the European Commission. Find out how to […]

State Aid Goes YouTube: Visit Phedon Nicolaides on our YouTube Channel

What is State aid? Why do I need to be concerned about State aid? What is General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) and how to use it? These and many more basic questions will be answered in our videos on YouTube. Make sure to visit us!   With great pleasure we announce the beginning of a new era of e-learning about […]

Luxembourg, Amazon, and the State aid connection

The Commission’s opening decision: What should we make of Amazon’s ‘advance pricing agreement’ (APA) and its alleged (non-) compliance with the ‘arm’s length principle’ (ALP)? In early October 2014, the European Commission notified Luxembourg of its decision to open a state aid investigation in relation to the tax treatment of the Amazon group by the Luxembourgish tax authorities. This opening […]

Simultaneity of Investments by Public and Private Investors is a Necessary but not Sufficient Condition for Public Investments to be Free of State Aid

If a public authority guarantees a loan to a company that is in financial difficulty and charges a low premium, the whole loan, not just the difference between the market rate of premium and the rate actually charged, will be considered to be State aid. Simultaneous capital injection by public and private investors is not enough to eliminate State aid […]

SMEs Linked through Natural Persons

Two or more enterprises may constitute a single undertaking when their owners and/or managers are related in a way that they can act jointly to exercise influence over the decision of those enterprises. Introduction   On 27 February 2014, the Court of Justice rendered a judgment on the notion of “linked enterprises” following a request for preliminary ruling from a […]

The New Guidelines on State Aid to Airports and Airlines: Problematic Issues (part 2)

Introduction Last week I reviewed the main provisions of the new Guidelines on State Aid to Airports and Airlines. This week I focus on three issues which are either not well explained or too ambiguous, leaving too much room for creative interpretation. [1] Investment funding gap The new Guidelines, like the other new rules, stress that aid must have an incentive […]

Guest State Aid Blog ×

15th Jubilee Feature – State Aid Experts Paying Court to EStAL: Birgit Haslinger

Since 2002 Lexxion Publisher’s European State Aid Law Quarterly – EStAL serves as a forum for dialogue and deliberation on all issues related to State aid. On the occasion of our 15th anniversary special feature we have gathered our State aid family to reflect upon their joint journey together with our precious EStAL and of course our favourite topic State […]

A Postscript on Brexit and State Aid

A short note on the previous blog post on State aid control in the UK after its withdrawal from the EU.   A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on State aid control in the UK after its withdrawal from the European Union [http://stateaidhub.eu/blogs/stateaiduncovered/post/8330]. In that article I suggested that the UK would maintain the same or a similar […]

State Aid is on the Agenda: Deal or No Deal

With great pleasure we welcome again Professor Erika Szyszczak to our blog. Erika is a Research Professor in Law and a Fellow of the UK Trade Policy Observatory. She is currently the Special Adviser to the House of Lords Internal Market Sub-Committee in respect of its inquiry into Brexit: competition. She is the author of The Regulation of the State […]

Public Service Obligations and Award for Damages

Providers of public services must keep separate accounts. The parameters for calculating the compensation for the extra costs of public services must be determined in advance. Awards for damages do not constitute State aid. However, no damages can be awarded as a substitute for incompatible State aid.   Introduction It is often asked how compensation measures for public service obligations […]

New Video: How to notify State aid?

What is State aid? Why do I need to be concerned about State aid? These and many more basic questions are answered in our videos on YouTube. Make sure to visit us!   Today one of our speakers and Attaché for State aid of the Hungarian central administration, Peter Staviczky explains how you notify State aid to the European Commission. Find out how to […]

State Aid Goes YouTube: Visit Phedon Nicolaides on our YouTube Channel

What is State aid? Why do I need to be concerned about State aid? What is General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) and how to use it? These and many more basic questions will be answered in our videos on YouTube. Make sure to visit us!   With great pleasure we announce the beginning of a new era of e-learning about […]

Luxembourg, Amazon, and the State aid connection

The Commission’s opening decision: What should we make of Amazon’s ‘advance pricing agreement’ (APA) and its alleged (non-) compliance with the ‘arm’s length principle’ (ALP)? In early October 2014, the European Commission notified Luxembourg of its decision to open a state aid investigation in relation to the tax treatment of the Amazon group by the Luxembourgish tax authorities. This opening […]

Simultaneity of Investments by Public and Private Investors is a Necessary but not Sufficient Condition for Public Investments to be Free of State Aid

If a public authority guarantees a loan to a company that is in financial difficulty and charges a low premium, the whole loan, not just the difference between the market rate of premium and the rate actually charged, will be considered to be State aid. Simultaneous capital injection by public and private investors is not enough to eliminate State aid […]

SMEs Linked through Natural Persons

Two or more enterprises may constitute a single undertaking when their owners and/or managers are related in a way that they can act jointly to exercise influence over the decision of those enterprises. Introduction   On 27 February 2014, the Court of Justice rendered a judgment on the notion of “linked enterprises” following a request for preliminary ruling from a […]

The New Guidelines on State Aid to Airports and Airlines: Problematic Issues (part 2)

Introduction Last week I reviewed the main provisions of the new Guidelines on State Aid to Airports and Airlines. This week I focus on three issues which are either not well explained or too ambiguous, leaving too much room for creative interpretation. [1] Investment funding gap The new Guidelines, like the other new rules, stress that aid must have an incentive […]

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 stratieva@lexxion.eu.

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.

Submit your guest blog post

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