This book explores the evolving role of EU State aid in an era defined by recurring crises and rapid policy shifts. Once a tool narrowly focused on correcting market failures, State aid now drives industrial strategy and resilience across the European Union. The book examines key developments in CJEU jurisprudence and European Commission practice, including the application of the Market Economy Investor Principle and the Altmark test. It analyses how State aid has responded to major challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the green transition, highlighting the impact of temporary frameworks and unprecedented regulatory flexibility.Drawing on detailed case studies from selected Member States, it identifies trends in aid design, notification, and allocation, offering insights into how national strategies intersect with EU rules. With a focus on legal and policy innovation, the book provides a timely and authoritative account of State aid’s transformation.Essential reading for academics, practitioners, policymakers, and students, this book delivers a comprehensive understanding of how EU State aid is adapting to a turbulent geopolitical and economic landscape.
Magdalena Porzezynska is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Warsaw, Poland.Roberto Caranta is Professor of Law at the University of Turin, Italy.
Introduction, Magdalena Porzezynska (University of Warsaw, Poland) and Roberto Caranta (University of Turin, Italy) Part I: A Fresh Look at Old Issues: Concept and Control of State Aid1. Framing EU State Aid Policy: Scope, Coherence, and Emerging Challenges, Roberto Caranta (University of Turin, Italy) and Magdalena Porzezynska (University of Warsaw, Poland)2. Market Economy Investor Principle (MEIP) and the Market Economy Operator Test (MEOT): Is There Any Alternative?, Magdalena Porzezynska (University of Warsaw, Poland)3. Revisiting the Altmark Conditions: Towards a More Flexible Approach?, Nuno Cunha Rodrigues (University of Lisbon, Portugal)4. Rethinking Public Procurement and Altmark: A Different Look at the Cathedral, Sarah Schoenmaekers and Phedon Nicolaides (University of Maastricht, the Netherlands) Part II: State Aid: A Panacea for EU Crises and Challenges?5. Green Transition, Roberto Caranta (University of Turin, Italy)6. The European Union’s Response to the COVID-19 Crises and the War in Ukraine in the Context of State Aid Law: from an Administrative Model to Data-Driven Systems, Krzysztof Brysiewicz (Brysiewicz, Bokina i Wspólnicy, Poland)7. Searching for European Industrial Policy, Lukasz Grzejdziak (Strathclyde Law School, UK)8. From Control to Competitiveness: The EU’s FSR, Magdalena Porzezynska (University of Warsaw, Poland) and Maria Rudzinska (Wardynski & Partners, Poland) Part III: National Approach: Lessons Learned9. Denmark, Grith Skovgaard Ølykke (Copenhagen Business School, Denmark)10. Italy, Alessandro Rosanò (University of Padova, Italy)11. Spain, Jorge Piernas López (University of Murcia, Spain) and María Paz Carbajo Giménez (Spanish Competition Authority, Spain)12. France, François Lichère and Cédric Bernard (Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University, France)13. Germany, Bartosz Frydel (Redeker Sellner Dahs Rechtsanwälte, Germany) and Lennart Gau (Kammergericht Berlin, Germany)