State Aid Reform

Posted by D. Daniel Sokol

Neelie Kroes  spoke earlier this week at the European State Aid Law Institute Conference in Brussels.  In her speech, she outlined four guiding principles have underpinned state aid reform:

• less and better targeted State Aid
• a refined economic approach
• more effective procedures, better enforcement, higher predictability and enhanced transparency and
• a shared responsibility between the Commission and Member States.

The priority for DG Competition this coming year, according to Kroes, is the General Block Exemption, which will be adopted by mid-next year.  Let us hope for a system in which the principles set out above are realized.