It has taken local and regional authorities quite a while to “get on the map” of State Aid, that is, to become a serious interlocutor of the European Commission and a political player able to have an impact on legislation. Things have changed since the years 2003 to 2005 mainly for four reasons: Firstly. The concept of competition has given rise to problems for local and regional authorities in the past. They have often opted for a timid wait-and-see