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

12. Mai 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

A National Measure that Does Not Apply at Regional Level Is Not Necessarily Selective

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Where there is a constitutional division of tax competences, different authorities may tax similar activities at different rates. Introduction This article examines Commission decision SA.34469 on differential tax rates for online and land-based gambling in Spain.[1] In the Spanish political system, regions that have the status of Autonomous Communities have powers of taxation. The issue at hand was which authority […]

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6. Mai 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

A Market Operator, unlike a Public Authority, Does not Have to Treat all Customers Equally

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In managing infrastructure, a public authority acts as a private operator when it seeks a reasonable return on its investment and also takes into account the alternative of not operating the infrastructure. The manager of an infrastructural project may charge different fees to different users to optimise usage and increase revenue. Introduction This article reviews Commission decision 2015/506 concerning […]

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29. April 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Do Free but Compulsory Tests Confer a Selective Advantage?

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State aid rules apply to measures which are either harmonised at EU level or are left to the discretion of Member States. The protection of public health is no sufficient reason for removing a public measure from the scope of Article 107(1). The fact that undertakings are obliged by law to comply with certain tests does not justify the subsidisation […]

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27. April 2015 | Guest State Aid Blog von Lexxion Publisher

Court’s Diary – May 2015

gavel

Interested in #Stateaid? Get in touch and write a blog post or a comment for the hub! Stateaidhub[at]lexxion.eu Wednesday 06/05/2015 Judgement in Case C-674/13 Commission v Germany (Court of Justice – Second Chamber) Hearing, Joined Cases T-50/06 RENV II, T-69/06 RENVII Ireland v Commission, Aughinish Alumina v Commission (General Court – First Chamber, Extended Composition) Wednesday 13/05/2015 Judgement in Case […]

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20. April 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Land Development

State Aid Blogs - StateAidHub blogpost47 Finance lexxion GBER SMEs

The sale of land and buildings owned by a public authority conforms with the market economy operator principle when i) it is profitable, ii) there is no alternative transaction that is economically more attractive, and iii) the sale is as profitable as similar transactions concluded at the same time. Introduction The article examines Commission decision 2015/507 concerning the sale […]

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13. April 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

PART II: Green Electricity and Reduction of Energy Taxes for Energy-Intensive Users

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Part II: Support of electricity production from renewable energy sources is normally compatible with the internal market. Reduction of taxes on electricity used by energy-intensive industries is allowed only for certain sectors exposed to international trade and only when they bear a certain cost. Taxes on imported electricity normally infringe free-trade and non-discrimination provisions, unless commensurate benefits are extended to […]

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7. April 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Green Electricity and Reduction of Energy Taxes for Energy-Intensive Users

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Support of electricity production from renewable energy sources is normally compatible with the internal market. Reduction of taxes on electricity used by energy-intensive industries is allowed only for certain sectors exposed to international trade and only when they bear a certain cost. Taxes on imported electricity normally infringe free-trade and non-discrimination provisions, unless commensurate benefits are extended to imported electricity. […]

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1. April 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

State Guarantees

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The amount of State aid in a guarantee that makes possible the granting of a loan to a well-collateralised firm in difficulty is not the difference in premium but the difference in interest rates. Beneficiaries of guarantees not notified to the Commission do not have any remedy under EU law. Introduction Last week’s article examined State aid in the […]

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30. März 2015 | Guest State Aid Blog von Lexxion Publisher

Court’s Diary – April 2015

gavel

Got something to say about State Aid? Want to write something on our Blog? Get in touch with us at Stateaidhub[at]lexxion.eu Thursday 16/04/2015 Judgment in Case C-690/13 Trapeza Eurobank Ergasias (Court of Justice – Ninth Chamber) Monday 20/04/2015 Hearing in Case C-357/14 P Dunamenti Erőmű v Commission (Court of Justice – Third Chamber) Wednesday 22/04/2015 Hearing in Case T-499/12 HSH Investment Holdings Coinvest-C and […]

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24. März 2015 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Loans for SMEs

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Low-interest loans may be used to support investments. The granting of de minimis aid through loans is possible only if loans are secured against collateral. The 2008 Commission Communication on interest rates does not apply to subordinated, non-collateralised loans. Introduction “Investment for growth” is the slogan which seems to be on everybody’s lips in Brussels. Last Friday, the European […]

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5. Juli 2013 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

How to Use Economic Tools to Ensure the Proportionality of Aid (Commission Decision SA.34938 on a gas storage facility in Poland)

industry

Introduction Normally, economic analysis is used by the Commission to find out whether a measure confers an abnormal advantage to an undertaking. This would be the case, for example, when a public authority makes an investment that generates a return that falls below what the market would demand. The recipient undertaking derives an abnormal advantage [i.e. an advantage that would […]

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27. Juni 2013 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Public Support without State Aid

tablet with chart tabelle

Public measures that do not constitute state aid are as interesting as the measures that do provide aid. This posting examines two measures that have been found not to fall within the scope of Article 107(1) TFEU because they do not satisfy one or more of the four criteria laid down in that Article. Non-economic activity: Commission Decision SA.35529 on […]

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20. Juni 2013 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

PuState Resources and Payments between Undertakings

euro coins

Introduction A couple of years ago, the big issue in State aid law was the concept of selectivity. The judgments in the British Aggregates and Dutch NOx cases expanded, elaborated, and, some argued, convoluted the criteria for determining whether a measure was selective or not. This year, the big issue for sure is the concept of State resources. First came […]

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9. Juni 2013 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Is the Commission Abusing its Discretion, or Should Member States be Allowed to Waste their Own Money?

businessman with a mask

The European State Aid Law Institute is celebrating the eleventh anniversary of its annual conference. For the past decade a perennial issue in EStALI events but also in similar events organised by other institutions has been the complaint of national officials that the rules on state aid are too intrusive and that the European Commission attempts to exert too much […]

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8. Juni 2013 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Public Funding of Stadiums and Arenas

sports arena

Introduction After the judgments of the General Court and the Court of Justice on public funding of infrastructure in the now landmark case of Leipzig-Halle, the European Commission is scrutinising more closely than ever the construction and operation of stadiums and arenas. In March 2012, the Commission opened two in-depth investigations into public funding for multi-function arenas, one in Uppsala […]

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3. Juni 2013 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Exceptional Circumstances, Natural Disasters, Commercial Risk and Rights of Complainants

tornado

This posting examines several recent measures which do not have a single common theme. However, each measure has unusual elements which should be of interest to State aid professionals. Exceptional circumstances: Commission Decision 2013/197 on aid to Cantiere Navale De Poli (IT)[1] The measure in question concerned State aid that Italy intended to provide to shipyard Cantiere Navale De Poli […]

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26. Mai 2013 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

The Puzzle of Environmental Aid: Why Do Firms Make Environmental Investments?

windmills

Introduction Environmental aid is the second largest horizontal category of state aid, after regional aid. It accounts for about 24% of all aid to industry and services. Yet, one often hears from public officials that the current Environmental Aid Guidelines (EAG) do not provide sufficient incentives for environmental protection. The problem is that aid is calculated as a percentage not […]

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20. Mai 2013 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Restrictions on Sale of Land and Social Housing

hands holding house model

Introduction This posting reviews the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in two joined cases: Eric Libert, et al v Gouvernement Flamand, (C‑197/11) and All Projects & Developments NV and Others v Vlaamse Regering, (C‑203/11).[1] The judgment which was rendered on 8 May 2013 is important because it addresses several issues concerning public service obligations, their relationship with […]

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9. Mai 2013 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Taxes and Tax Reductions on Air Travel: Selectivity and Compatibility

airplanes on the runway

This posting examines an Irish and a German measure concerning reduction in passenger taxes. As to be expected, an important issue for both measures was whether the reduction was selective or not. The analysis of the Commission does not really break new ground. What is more instructive with these two cases is the range and ingenuity of the arguments advanced […]

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1. Mai 2013 | State Aid Uncovered von Phedon Nicolaides

Fiscal Leveraging: Donations and State Aid for Culture and Sports

runners on the track

Introduction In this blog I examine primarily a Dutch measure that supports cultural institutions by providing tax incentives to individuals and corporations to make donations to those institutions. This is an unusual construction because the direct beneficiaries are different from the indirect beneficiaries which, however, are the main targets of the measure. This construction has been used rather extensively in […]

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