Will COVID-19 Make or Break EU State Aid Control? An Analysis of Commission Decisions Authorising Pandemic State Aid Measures

Abstract

This article analyses Commission Decisions authorising State aid between March and December 2020 in order to explore their possible consequences on the internal market and the level playing field. ¹ The research is aimed at evaluating whether the relaxation of State aid control due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has produced disparities between the Member States and unfair advantages—or disadvantages—for EU companies. Even though final calculation of aid can only be finalised when undertakings actually receive the specific aid, however, the Commission’s decisions assessing State measures do give a clear indication of at least two phenomena—first, the geographical distribution of aid in the EU and second which policy objectives were favoured by the Member States in the period of time considered.