What’s up with blurred lines: State aid and competition law

The district court of Amsterdam has ruled that the municipality of Amsterdam, by concluding a guarantee agreement, could in theory have violated both competition and State aid law. Can we blur these lines?

Alke Metselaar • October 15, 2013 • 1 comment

Private enforcement of State aid law? Don’t bother.

Blogs should be just a little provocative. So let’s provoke: the idea that breaches of State aid law can be solved by national courts is nice, but wrong. Enforcement by national judges, rather than the European Commission, is costly, clumsy and ineffective

Alke Metselaar • November 27, 2012 • 7 comments

‘Please sir, I want some more’, Oliver Twist and denying rights on the basis of State aid law

Can a subsidizing party, on the basis of State aid law, deny an undertaking its right under national law?

Alke Metselaar • August 28, 2012

Why don’t Dutch judges want to know about State aid law?

Interest amongst judges for State aid law seems to be limited. This is unfortunate, because State aid law is arguably fundamental to EU law. On the other hand… who can really blame them?

Alke Metselaar • June 26, 2012

What would the Commission do? A case of existing State aid.

When dealing with State aid matters, national judges and the European Commission have 'essential, but distinct, roles'. This distinction seems to be blurring, as recent Dutch case law shows.

Alke Metselaar • May 08, 2012