State Aid as a Risk in the Policy of Competitive Advantages in the European Union

Compatibility of economic advantages with the internal market refers to the economic impact of state aid that is permitted by EU competition rules. In general, this approach is based on the acceptance of derogations from basic obligations in a market economy, that may also be granted by the European Union to its Member States. Due advantages seem compatible with EU law per se, however, such compatibility also depends on the discretion of the competent administrative and judicial bodies. According to the analytical and empirical legal policy investigation presented in this article, the activity of the Court of Justice of the European Union is increasing in order to allow exceptions from general rules and extend the scope of compatibility in this field. This process may lead to enhance derogations from market-based commitments in Member States, typically in certain Central and Eastern European countries, which tend to emphasize the primacy of national regulation and are keen to exploit the potential of such broader regulatory autonomy. The aim of the study is to identify the origin and nature of this risk in order to support efforts that may diminish harmful effects in an EU-wide context. The empirical evidence of the paper derives from a systematically selected set of case law as a context by which the examined policy orientation is mirrored.