Work Area: State Aid

The European Commission plans to launch new investigations into apparently unfair tax deals between member states and powerful companies, despite recent court rulings going against the enforcer, Margrethe Vestager has said.

20 March 2023

An internal restructuring that fundamentally reorganised Amazon’s global business was solely intended to help the technology company avoid paying tax on certain profits, the European Commission has told the EU’s highest court.

16 March 2023

A waste collection company has filed the first challenge under the UK’s new subsidies regime before the Competition Appeal Tribunal, accusing Durham County Council of unlawfully funding its commercial waste collection business.

13 February 2023

The UK’s antitrust watchdog has amended its draft guidance on the functions of its Subsidy Advice Unit to further clarify the treatment of confidential information and the contents of its advisory reports.

14 November 2022

The EU’s highest court has annulled the European Commission’s finding that Luxembourg granted Fiat Chrysler an illegal tax break, ruling that the General Court was wrong to endorse the enforcer’s use of the “arm’s length principle” since it is not part of the country’s tax law.

08 November 2022

The head of the European Commission’s taskforce on foreign subsidies has pushed back against criticisms from practitioners that the incoming regulation creates uncertainty, arguing the bloc would have created a “legislative monster” if the new rules were too prescriptive.

12 July 2022

The EU has moved closer to implementing new rules to curb anticompetitive subsidies from governments outside the bloc, with the European Parliament and European Council reaching a political agreement on the new regulation.

01 July 2022

Featured in Europe, Middle East and Africa Antitrust Review 2023

To allow member state governments to assist companies affected by covid-19, the European Commission adopted a state aid regime worth exploring in the aftermath of the pandemic.

24 June 2022

Featured in Europe, Middle East and Africa Antitrust Review 2023

In the aftermath of the European response to covid-19, certain issues may require more scrutiny by policy makers in order to minimise the risks of distortions inherent to any public intervention.

24 June 2022

Featured in Europe, Middle East and Africa Antitrust Review 2023

Competition law in Denmark is similar to that of the EU, as demonstrated by analysis of recent practice and relevant developments in the Scandinavian country.

24 June 2022