State aid
actual situation, proposition de lege ferenda
Kamil Rudolecký
vice chairman
Office for the Protection of Competition
16.4.2009
Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže
Stabilization?
• decrease of total amount of SA (approx.
0,5 % GDP) and its horizontal focus
• adoption of „skill to read“ inexplicit
European rules
• increase of state aid awareness
• elimination of negativism on providers side
Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže
Role of the Office in SA area
• The Office disposes of:
• general overview of the SA situation in the Czech
Republic
• knowledge of the history of SA provision, including „the
sensitive areas“
• continuity of approach
• contact lists
• although without decisive powers relatively high level of
informal authority
Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže
Current focus
• measures and programs in the time of
economic crisis
• state aid questions related to structural
funds, transport, public health service,
internet, privatization conditions
• services of general economic interest
Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže
for the use …
•
•
•
database of current EC and court
decisions – easy orientation according to
specific topics
maximal use of GBER and economic
crisis measures
legal formalism free approach to
assessment of SA and market
disturbance
Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže
Role of the national courts
• Commission Notice on the Enforcement of State Aid
Law by National Courts– refers to previous one from
1995
• Private enforcement = effective control of SA
• used also in the situation when SA declared compatible
by EC
• Function: prevention of SA realization,
SA recovery,
damages,
interim measures,
interest recovery
Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže
Situation in the Czech Republic
• low SA legislature awareness by the courts –
limited use only (cooperative societies)
• claimants approach primarily EC or the Office
• use of so called „competition advocacy“
• negative approach of the courts in the past
• educational programs for the judges
(cooperation with the Judge Union)
Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže
Proposals de - lege ferenda
• more decentralization of EC powers – decision
making on national level with high binding force
of community legal acts towards member states
• EC – mainly control body
• higher level of codification – e.g. in the area of
SGEI (Altmark, Commission decision
2005/842/ES, Commission Framework C 297,
29.11.2005)
• Clear distinction between national and
community jurisdiction
Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže
Proposals de - lege ferenda
• establishment of cooperation platform for member states
as a constructive opposition towards EC (resolution of
problematic programs from the time of 15 member
states)
• initiation of establishment of one centralized unit within
all member states
• introduction of register of de minimis aid in all member
states
• shorter time for procedure before EC – measures
adopted in the times of economic crisis show the
possibility for improvement- the Czech Rep. welcomes
the proposals such as Note of Commission on Simplified
Procedure, Best Practices Code including new
methodology for notification procedure
Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže
Amendment of
the Act nr. 215/2004
• expected to be adopted during this year
- obligatory consultation with the Office /opinion
within 5 days/,
- register of de minimis aid,
- more clarification on rules for penalization
- obligation to recover illegal aid ,
- definition of the role of Ministry of Agriculture
Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže
.
Thank you
Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže