About: State aid
Brussels sets out new green aid rules, with ‘pragmatic exceptions’ for gas
New state aid rules spelling out conditions under which EU governments are allowed to support companies on environmental grounds, boost clean energy, and phase out support for fossil fuels were unveiled by the European Commission on Tuesday (21 December).
Critics say French state aid scheme will crush citizen energy projects
The European Commission has given the green light to a new French state aid scheme worth €5.7 billion aimed at supporting the production of electricity from small solar installations on buildings. But because the scheme cannot be coupled with other local and regional funding schemes, citizen solar panel projects will probably grind to a halt. EURACTIV France reports.
Commission to ease state aid straitjacket as recovery fund kicks in
The European Commission will present in the second half of this year a wide-ranging review of its state aid rules to facilitate public funding to strategic areas, as member states await the first transfers of the EU's recovery funds.
Amazon wins court fight against €250 million EU tax order
Amazon won on Wednesday (12 May) its fight against an EU order to pay about €250 million euros in back taxes to Luxembourg, as Europe's second-highest court dealt a blow to the bloc's efforts to make multinational corporations pay more taxes.
Dutch government grants €2 billion in subsidies to huge carbon storage project
The Dutch government has granted a consortium that includes oil majors Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil around €2 billion in subsidies for what is set to become one of the largest carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in the world.
Massive German state aid to virus-hit firms? Others in EU doing as much or more: Vestager
Concerns that Germany may have an unfair competitive advantage because of billions of euros pumped into its virus-hit companies are not backed by data which show other EU states doing as much if not more for their businesses, Europe's antitrust chief said.
Britain sketches out post-Brexit state aid scheme
Britain wants to establish a more flexible system of subsidy rules than those in place when it was a member of the European Union, business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said on Wednesday (3 February).
Brussels approves €2.9 billion investment into battery innovation
Twelve EU countries will jointly invest almost three billion euros into innovation in battery cell technology for electric vehicles and energy storage, cementing the EU as a “global hotspot” for battery innovation, the European Commission announced on Tuesday (26 January).
EU considers allowing more state aid to boost green projects
European Union governments may be allowed to grant more state aid to projects that help the bloc achieve its climate goals, Europe’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said on Tuesday (22 September), calling such an incentive a “green bonus”.
EU clears €1bn plan to recapitalise virus-hit airline SAS
EU competition regulators on Monday (17 August) cleared a €1 billion plan by Denmark and Sweden to recapitalise virus-hit SAS, saying the measure would prevent the Scandinavian airline's insolvency.
US maintain tariffs on Airbus, EU urged to respond
The US government said on Wednesday (12 August) it would maintain 15% tariffs on Airbus aircraft and 25% tariffs on other European goods, despite moves by the EU to resolve a long-standing dispute over aircraft subsidies.
Portugal pushes ahead with plans for state-owned development bank
Portugal's government approved on Thursday (18 June) plans to create a state-owned development bank to channel funds into certain companies and sectors to bolster the economy.
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.
Germany still hesitating to link stimulus packages with climate targets
France, the Netherlands and Austria want to put environmentally friendly conditions on aid for corporations. In Germany, companies themselves are calling for a climate stimulus package, yet Economy Minister Peter Altmaier is hesitating. EURACTIV Germany reports.
The EU’s state aid regime is upside down
The European Commission’s approach to state aid is contradicting green recovery ambitions. While the EU recovery programme is focused on the Green Deal, national subsidy schemes are pouring money all across the economy without clear ecological focus, writes Claude Turmes.
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.
Beware of jobs vs. climate clash in virus aftermath, EU warned
Governments in Europe and beyond should pay “utmost attention” to avoid a “jobs versus climate” confrontation in the recovery phase from the COVID-19 crisis, said Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Environmental NGOs launch appeal for green reconstruction
An association of ten major European environmental organisations today (14 May) launched an appeal to the European Union to come up with a green and fair reconstruction plan. Today, the EU Parliament will vote on its position on this issue. EURACTIV Germany reports.
CAP budget increase, state aid, no mandatory labelling in F2F
Welcome to EURACTIV’s AgriFood Brief, your weekly update on all things Agriculture & Food in the EU. You can subscribe here if you haven’t done so yet. Agriculture Commissioner backs Poland’s plan to hike CAP spending The EU’s Agriculture Commissioner,...
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.