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

21. Februar 2017 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

State Aid for R&D: How Intermediaries Pass on Aid to Third Parties

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Operators of research infrastructure do not benefit from State aid, if they fully pass on the aid to the users of the infrastructure. The amount of aid must be quantified. Introduction The beneficiaries of State aid to support R&D are normally those who carry out research. However, in the case of aid to research infrastructure there may be two categories […]

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14. Februar 2017 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

How to Calculate a Transparent Amount of State Aid in Public Guarantees

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State aid granted in the form of public guarantees is transparent aid when it is calculated according to the methodology of the 2008 Commission notice or a methodology that is notified to and approved by the Commission. Introduction Aid to farmers, small enterprises or revenue-generating projects is often given in the form of state guarantees. This is because what […]

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7. Februar 2017 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The Scope of Public Service Obligations

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Public service obligations may cover both profitable and unprofitable segments of the market. Introduction 18 January 2017, the General Court delivered its judgment in case T-92/11 RENV, Jørgen Andersen, v European Commission.[1] Mr Andersen appealed against Commission Decision 2011/3 which concluded that public service contracts between the Danish Ministry of Transport and Danske Statsbaner [DSB], the incumbent train operator, contained […]

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31. Januar 2017 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Financial Cooperatives

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National courts may not question Commission decisions but they may ask the Court of Justice for guidance on how to interpret Commission decisions. Protection of shareholders of a particular category of companies is a selective measure. Introduction This is the last article dealing with the judgments that were rendered by EU courts on 21 December 2016. This article reviews the reply […]

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24. Januar 2017 | von Phedon Nicolaides

Selectivity Stretched

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Derogations that result in different tax treatment are selective measures. Introduction On 21 December 2016, the Commission achieved an important legal victory when the Court of Justice found in its favour in the judgment in joint cases C‑20/15 P and C‑21/15 P, Commission v World Duty Free Group [formerly Autogrill España] and Commission v Banco Santander, respectively.[1] The Commission appealed […]

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17. Januar 2017 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Part II: Developments on the Concepts of Advantage and Selectivity

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The advantage conferred by State aid is not necessarily equivalent to the economic benefit that is eventually enjoyed by aid recipients. Incompatible State aid has to be repaid regardless of whether it is passed on to the customers of the aid recipients. Undertakings derive an advantage when state intervention reduces the costs they would bear under “normal market conditions” whereby […]

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10. Januar 2017 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Developments on the Concepts of Advantage and Selectivity

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The advantage conferred by State aid is not necessarily equivalent to the economic benefit that is eventually enjoyed by aid recipients. Incompatible State aid has to be repaid regardless of whether it is passed on to the customers of the aid recipients. Undertakings derive an advantage when state intervention reduces the costs they would bear under “normal market conditions” whereby […]

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3. Januar 2017 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Public Service Obligations and Award for Damages

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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 […]

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29. Dezember 2016 | Guest State Aid Blog von Lexxion Publisher

Top 3 State Aid Blog Posts from 2016

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From remarks on the Commission Notice on the Notion of State aid over to the right of access and State aid procedures, our guest bloggers on the StateAidHub have shed light on various controversial State aid judgments and developments. View now the most popular posts of 2016. With the end of 2016, we thank not only Prof Phedon Nicolaides […]

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27. Dezember 2016 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Funding of the Spanish Public Broadcaster and Hypothecation of Taxes

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Tax payers have grounds to object to a tax on the basis of Article 107(1) TFEU only when the tax is “asymmetrical” or when it is “hypothecated” to an aid measure. Introduction On 10 November 2016, the Court of Justice ruled in case C‑449/14 P, DTS v European Commission.[1] DTS, a Spanish television company, appealed against the judgment of the General […]

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20. Oktober 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Should State Aid that Is Passed on to Consumers Not be Recovered?

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Should the amount of recoverable aid be similarly reduced by the amount that is allegedly passed on to consumers? I will argue the case against it. Introduction On 5 February 2015, the General Court, in cases T-473/12, Aer Lingus v Commission[1] and T-500/12, Ryanair v Commission[2], annulled Article 4 of Commission Decision 2013/199. In that decision the Commission found that a […]

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13. Oktober 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

A Primer on Compensation for the Extra Costs of Public Service Obligations Taking into Account Efficiency Gains

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When Member States impose PSOs they are never allowed to grant even a single euro in excess of the net extra costs of the PSO. That is prohibited for the simple reason that it results in over-compensation. Introduction The Lexxion seminar on state aid for transport and transport infrastructure that took place in Brussels on 21-22 September (view […]

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5. Oktober 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The State Acting as a Private Creditor & State Aid Enforcement and Procedural Rights

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In this article I review Commission decision SA.37100 on JSC Liepajas Metalurgs [LM], once Latvia’s largest steel company and major employer. The decision examines whether Latvia acted promptly to recover a debt owed to it by a company that faced financial difficulties. The question was whether Latvia acted as a private creditor when it allowed the debtor to continue operations. […]

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29. September 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Airport Infrastructure, Public Remit and the MEOT

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A public authority, acting as a private investor, may provide finance which is free of state aid to an airport and at the same time grant state aid to the same airport. Public funding of activities that fall within the exclusive tasks of the state is not state aid. When a public authority defines the activities that fall within the […]

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25. September 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

New State Aid Regulations

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Regulation 2015/1589 is the new procedural regulation. It lays down the rules for, among other things, notification of state aid, formal investigation, injunctions and recovery of incompatible aid. Because of its importance in the EU system of state aid control, it will be fully reviewed at a forthcoming article. In the Official Journal of 24 September 2015 you will find […]

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22. September 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

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

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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

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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

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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 […]

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2. September 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

When Do Public Pronouncements Confer an Advantage to Undertakings?

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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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25. August 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The Challenge of Calculating a Market Price

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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 […]

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