State Aid Weekly - European Commission

No. 44/14
18 December 2014
Covers the period from 11 to 17 December
Highlights
Commission turns state aid modernisation into action and calls for better cooperation with Member States
to boost growth
The European Commission has for the first time approved state aid evaluation plans for two different aid schemes in
the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. It will enable both countries to provide aid of more than €6 billion in total
to spur investment and development. The aid schemes can now run until 2020 without requiring further Commission
approval. This was made possible by the new General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), which as part of the
Commission's State Aid Modernisation (SAM) Initiative, greatly extended the scope of aid exempted from prior
notification to the Commission.
Read more
Commission approves aid to Banka Celje based on the restructuring plan of Banka Celje and its merger
with Abanka
The European Commission has concluded that the restructuring plan of the Slovene Banka Celje d.d. and its merger
with Abanka Vipa d.d. was in line with EU state aid rules. The Commission found in particular that the restructuring
plan ensures the viability of the merged entity in the long term without requiring further state support. At the same
time the plan also mitigates the distortions of competition brought about by the aid granted to the bank.
Read more
Commission approves Catalunya Banc's revised restructuring plan following its sale to BBVA
The European Commission has concluded that the sale of the Spanish bank Catalunya Banc to BBVA and the proposed
amendments to its original restructuring plan were in line with EU state aid rules. The sale and the amendments
ensure the bank's long-term viability as part of BBVA. At the same time competition distortions in the Single Market
are mitigated and no additional state aid to Catalunya Banc or the buyer is granted.
Read more
Commission extends information enquiry on tax rulings practice to all Member States
The European Commission has enlarged the enquiry into the tax ruling practice under EU state aid rules to cover all
Member States. The Commission will ask Member States to provide information about their tax ruling practice, in
particular to confirm whether they provide tax rulings, and,if they do, to request a list of all companies that have
received a tax ruling from2010 to 2013. The Commission already requested similar information on tax rulings from
several Member States in June 2013. This enquiry is fully in line with the recent calls for more transparency of tax
rulings, in particular the initiative announced by President Juncker on the upcoming legal proposal regarding the
automatic exchange of information on tax rulings, on which work is being led by Commissioner Moscovici.
Read more
General Court confirms the Commission’s decision that the partial exemption from the obligation of
purchasing green electricity, which Austria plans to grant to energy-intensive businesses, constitutes
unlawful State aid – 11 December 2014
In its judgment in Case T-251/11 – Austria v Commission the General Court dismissed the proceedings brought by
Austria against a decision whereby the Commission found a scheme for energy-intensive businesses to constitute
State aid incompatible with the internal market and decided that it could therefore not be granted. That aid is in
particular not compatible with the Community guidelines on State aid for environmental protection. In particular, the
Court decided that the Commission did not commit any error in considering that that partial exemption involved the
use of State resources and emphasised that the aid mechanism for green energy and the exemption mechanism for
energy-intensive businesses were established by law and must therefore be deemed to be attributable to the State.
Read more
In this issue:
New legislation >>
Court of Justice of the European Union >>
Public consultations on draft legislation >>
European Economic Area >>
Commission Decisions >>
Additional points of interest >>
Block exemptions >>
State Aid Weekly e-News No 44
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2014 edition of the State Aid Scoreboard is on-line
Read more
Public consultations on draft legislation
Deadline
for
comments
Title
Consultation on draft Guidelines for the examination of State aid to the fishery and aquaculture sector
20.01.2015
All public consultations: DG Competition / DG Agriculture / DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
Commission Decisions
List of Commission Decisions taken during the reporting period, regardless of their publication in the Official Journal.
The list of Commission Decisions recently published in the Official Journal is available here.
Article 4(3) - decision not to raise objections
Case
Number
Country
Title
Objective
Decision
date
DG Competition
France
SA.39299
Crédit d'impôt en faveur de la création de
jeux vidéo - modifications
Culture
11/12/2014
Italy
SA.38025
Prolongation of National Broadband Plan Italy
Sectoral
development
11/12/2014
Luxembourg SA.38739
Régime d'aide à l'innovation (LU) extension of duration of expired scheme
Innovation
11/12/2014
Poland
SA.38178
Reconstruction of heating infrastructure in
Jaslo destroyed by the floods of 2010
Compensation of
damages caused
by natural
disaster
15/12/2014
Slovenia
SA.38522
Restructuring aid for Banka Celje/Abanka
Remedy for a
serious
disturbance in
the economy
16/12/2014
Spain
SA.39402
Sale of Catalunya Banc
Remedy for a
serious
disturbance in
the economy
17/12/2014
United
Kingdom
SA.39273
Regional Growth Fund (RGF)- evaluation
plan
11/12/2014
Corrigendum
Country
Case
Title
State Aid Weekly e-News No 44
Objective
Decision
2
Number
date
DG Competition
Denmark
SA.36204
Aid to photovoltaic installations and other
renewable energy installations
Environmental
protection
17/12/2014
Denmark
SA.37122
Aid to household wind turbines and offshore wind
turbines with an experimental aspect
Environmental
protection
17/12/2014
Block exemptions
Block Exemptions information sheets published in the State Aid register during the reporting period.
Court of Justice of the European Union
List of cases discussed during the reporting period, as published in the judicial calendar of the Court.
The respective case documents are normally published on the Court website within a short interval.
Country
Court Case
Title
Type of act
Austria
T-251/11
Austria v Commission
Judgement
Portugal
T-487/11
Banco Privado Português and Massa
Insolvente do Banco Privado Português v
Commission
Judgment
Date
11/12/2014
12/12/2014
List of cases planned for the week following the reporting period, as published in the judicial calendar of the Court.
Country
Greece
Court Case
T-58/13
Title
Club Hotel Loutraki and Others v
Commission
Type of act
Judgment
Date
08/01/2015
European Economic Area
Based on the Agreement of the European Economic Area (EEA), the EFTA States participating in the EEA have
entrusted the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the EFTA Court with similar decision making powers to that of the
Commission and the European Court of Justice, respectively, in the field of state aid for the EFTA States.
Block exemptions
Country
Case number
Title/link to documents*
Objective
Norway
GBER
37/2014/TRA
Aid scheme to support Competence and Development of the Tourism
Industry
(Arts. 14,21-22, 25-30, 31, 36-49, 53 and 54)
Training
Norway
GBER
36/2014/R&D
&I
Research and development contracts aid scheme
(Arts. 21-22 and 25-30)
Research,
development and
innovation
Norway
GBER
35/14/2014/T
RA
Corporate Internal Training
(Art. 31)
Training
Norway
GBER
34/2014/R&D
&I
Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME)
(Arts. 25-30)
Research,
development and
innovation
State Aid Weekly e-News No 44
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Norway
GBER
33/2014/R&D
&I
Wood-Based Innovation Scheme
(Arts. 17-20, 25-30, 31, 36-49 and 53)
Research,
development and
innovation
Norway
GBER
32/2014/R&D
&I
Innovation Projects for the Industrial Sector
(Arts. 25-30)
Research,
development and
innovation
Norway
GBER
31/2014/EMP
Grant to cover the cost of constructing, installing or expanding the
establishment of sheltered employment
(Arts. 32-35)
Employment
Norway
GBER
30/2014/EMP
Grant to disability assistance in working life
(Arts. 32-35)
Employment
Norway
GBER
29/2014/EMP
Wage Subsidies
(Arts. 32-35)
Employment
Norway
GBER
28/2014/EMP
Pilot project – use of Work Assessment Allowance as wage subsidies
(Arts. 32-35)
Employment
Norway
GBER
27/2014/EMP
Indefinite wage subsidies
(Arts. 32-35)
Employment
Norway
GBER
26/2014/TRA
Aid Scheme for Competence and Advisory Services
(Arts. 18-20, 21-22, 25-30, 31, 36-49 and 53)
Training
Norway
GBER
25/2014/REG
Regional Development Aid Scheme
(Arts 18-20, 21-22, 25-30, 31, 36-49 and 53)
Regional
Other EEA points of interest
Decision to approve regional aid scheme taken to Court
Press release
Additional points of interest
Events
Competition Law in the Aviation Sector 2015
IBC Legal
Brussels, 29 January 2015
Read more
Essentials of State Aid Law and Procedures
Lexxion
Brussels, 9-10 February 2015
Read more
State Aid for Environmental and Energy Projects
European Academy for Taxes, Economics and Law
Berlin, 9-10 February 2015
Read more
State Aid for Environmental and Energy Projects
State Aid and Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI)
Brussels, 9-10 March
Read more
EStAL Intensive Workshop: The Role of the Market Economy Investor Principle (MEIP) / Infrastructure
Funding in Compliance with State Aid Rules
Lexxion
London, 15 March 2015
Read more
Miscellanea
Commission Staff Working Document on Common methodology for State aid evaluation: working translations, for
information purposes only, are available under the State Aid Modernisation page of DG Competition.
Read more
State Aid Weekly e-News No 44
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Next publication date: Thursday 08.01.2015
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About e-News
This e-News is issued every week to present the latest developments in the area of State aid. It features information
on new legislative texts and proposals, decisions of the European Commission and the Courts of the European Union
and other state aid–related documents and events. A great deal of additional information on State aid matters is
available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server.
Other documents related to the cases, can be found under the link to the State aid Register.
Publisher
European Commission
DG Competition
Unit A-3 – State aid strategy
Chief Editor: Nicola Pesaresi
Editing team: Hildegard Vandromme, Rashko Dorosiev, Giorgia Imbriani, Valerie Nechelput, Christine Jacob
Contact the publisher for comments, queries or suggestions: comp-state-aid-enews@ec.europa.eu
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completeness, accuracy of the information and the use which might be made of the information provided in this
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© European Union 2014.
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State Aid Weekly e-News No 44
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