Competition
Vestager defends EU approach to Lufthansa mega bailout, as carrier agrees terms
EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said on Friday (29 May) that the European Commission was not creating unnecessary obstacles to Lufthansa's €9 billion bailout, shortly before the carrier agreed to accept the Commission's set of conditions.
Lufthansa board baulks at EU bailout terms
The board of German airline Lufthansa refused to accept the conditions of a €9 billion aid package on Wednesday (27 May), citing the European Commission's reported requirement that the carrier give up some airport slots at two of its major hubs.
Ryanair challenges Lufthansa’s bailout package
Low-cost carrier Ryanair challenged Germany's €9 billion rescue package for Lufthansa on Tuesday (26 May), saying it distorted competition, while the German carrier moves towards finalising the deal next month.
Vestager: Discrepancy in state aid distorts single market, hampers recovery
The European Union's competition chief Margrethe Vestager has expressed concern about the "huge differences" in coronavirus state aid among member states, saying they were starting to distort the bloc's single market.
EU agri chief warns against risks of state aid overuse in farming sector
Excessive use of state aid to bail out struggling farmers during the COVID-19 crisis could be a cause for concern for the single market and fair competition in the member states, according to the European Commissioner for agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski.
EU urges national governments to take the lead on ‘green’ state aid
The European Union's top climate official encouraged governments on Monday to attach green conditions to public support for coronavirus-hit companies, after the bloc's executive opted not to do so at the EU level.
EU eyes green conditions on state aid to virus-hit firms
An imminent revision of EU state aid rules for troubled firms during the COVID-19 outbreak could either uphold the bloc's climate goals or descend into “greenwashing”, a senior EU lawmaker has warned.
Germany gains most from relaxed EU state aid rules
Germany accounts for more than half of the emergency coronavirus state aid approved by the EU executive, prompting concerns that countries with the deepest pockets might be getting an unfair advantage in the bloc's single market.
Germany divided over how to bail out flyers
Germany's government granted low-cost airline Condor more than half a billion euros on Monday (27 April) to help it ride out a virus-induced slump in air travel, but the fate of the much bigger flag-carrier Lufthansa is still very much up in the air.
Air France-KLM gets virus bailout, green conditions still pending
Air France-KLM will get a state-backed bailout of around €10 billion in loans and guarantees. But the lack of strict conditions in the aid packages announced by the French and Dutch governments on Friday (24 April) has already stoked criticism.
Austria demands ‘greater flexibility’ of EU state aid law in letter to Vestager
While EU member states are hardly allowed to support their companies financially in normal times, the coronavirus crisis has made state aid essential for the survival of most businesses. In a letter to Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, Austria's government called for the suspension of state aid law in sensitive areas. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Sweden gets airline bailout green light from EU
The European Commission approved Sweden’s half-billion euro support scheme for airlines on Saturday (11 April), in what is one of the first major forays into bailing out Europe’s coronavirus-hit airlines.
Lufthansa super-jumbos fall victim to virus as airline bailouts loom
German flag-carrier Lufthansa will send six of its 14 A380s - the world’s largest commercial airliner - into early retirement, due to massive disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The decision comes just as airlines gear up to request bailouts from governments.
EU countries use looser state aid rules to uphold troubled firms
Member states are making use of the new flexibility within EU state rules mainly to guarantee liquidity for all companies heavily affected by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak. EURACTIV has looked into the different schemes that have been approved so far.
Commission readies ‘crisis scheme’ for state aid approval
The European Commission prepared a temporary framework to fast-track state aid approval as a response to the coronavirus (COVID-19), last used in the aftermath of the financial crisis in 2008.
Italy to bail out Alitalia, as COVID-19 scares off buyers
The Italian government is close to taking full control of Alitalia, as the coronavirus outbreak in Europe forces Rome to abandon plans to find a buyer for the ailing national carrier, Il Messaggero said on Sunday (15 March).
EU pledges €25 billion to weather coronavirus impact
EU institutions and member states agreed on Tuesday (10 March) to ease EU spending rules and mobilise at least €25 billion of EU funds to address the economic fallout from the coronavirus.
EU inquest into Italy’s €400m Alitalia loan takes off
The European Commission announced on Friday (28 February) that its competition watchdog will probe the Italian government's December decision to loan national airline Alitalia €400 million. Brussels wants to find out if the pay-out was illegal state aid.
TGV-maker Alstom confirms bid attempt for Canadian rival
French train maker Alstom has confirmed it is in talks on the possible acquisition of the train business of Canada’s Bombardier, a potential €6.5 billion deal that could help it build scale in the increasingly competitive rail sector.
Google vs EU: a decade-long saga goes to court
Google and the EU have a big day in court Wednesday (12 February) as the search engine giant enters a new phase of a legal saga that began a decade ago.
US packaged foods juggernaut under EU antitrust probe
US consumer goods group Mondelez International is being investigated for suspected anti-competitive practices covering EU several member states, a European Commission spokesperson confirmed to EURACTIV.
Bulgaria mulls re-opening Gazprom antitrust probe
Because of Bulgaria's discontent, Gazprom risks re-opening the antitrust case the European Commission had led against the Russian gas export monopoly over suspected abuse of its dominant position in the Eastern European gas market, EURACTIV.bg has learned.
LEAK: EU must step up Single Market enforcement, states tell Commission
The European Union must step up the application and enforcement of Single Market law or risk losing ‘credibility and effectiveness’, according to a leaked paper to the EU executive signed by 14 member states.