The Law of State Aid in the European Union

State aid policy is based upon the principle of European Community supervision of assistance granted by member states. It threatens to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings or production of certain goods. This book deals with the question how a balance can be struck between trade liberalization and the State's role in the economy.

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EC state aid law represents an increasingly important part of EC competition law. The case law at national and European levels is growing rapidly, both in quantity and importance. Significant and increasingly frequent legislative and regulatory measures have been adopted at the European level in this field.

There are various reasons for this developing EU focus on public intervention in the economy, however the fundamental and primary rationale is the completion of the internal market, and the pressure which that brings for liberalization and privatization. This volume analyses the concept of aid and examines fundamental questions concerning the scope of state aid law. It also offers a comparison with WTO provisions on subsidies and looks at EEA and applicant states' state aid regimes. It then focuses upon selected areas of state aid law and policy. The final part of the book is devoted to an assessment of the system of remedies and enforcement both at the EU and national level. The contributors to this volume come from a wide variety of backgrounds: they include academics, practitioners, the judiciary, and Government representatives at both national and EU level.