Nicole Robins, Laura Puglisi

European State Aid Law Quarterly, Volume 20 (2021), Issue 1, Page 74 - 86

Economic and financial analysis plays an increasing role in State aid assessments. It is often used to assess whether one of the criteria for State aid to exist is met − namely, whether the State’s intervention confers an economic advantage − as well as specific aspects of whether any aid is compatible with the relevant State aid rules. To determine whether a public measure confers an economic advantage on the beneficiary, the market economy operator principle (MEOP) test is often applied. The rationale behind the test is to assess whether the State is acting in the manner of a private investor. In the aviation sector, the MEOP is applied at various levels, ranging from funding provided by the State to airport owners or operators, to the relationship between publicly owned airports (or those that have received State aid) and airlines. This article provides an overview of the different levels at which the MEOP test is applied in the aviation sector, and its underlying economic and financial principles. Throughout the article, examples are provided to demonstrate how the MEOP test has been applied in practice. Keywords: market economy operator principle; MEOP; market economy investor principle; MEIP; benchmarking; pari passu; profitability analysis

Nicole Robins, Laura Puglisi, Ling Yang

European State Aid Law Quarterly, Volume 19 (2020), Issue 2, Page 137 - 149

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Commission quickly provided guidance on how Member States can support companies during the crisis in a manner that is in line with State aid rules. With the Commission having approved €2.6 trillion of aid notified by Member States since the start of the pandemic, State aid rules have come under the spotlight more than ever before. Some argue that the different approaches adopted by Member States to deal with the crisis create significant competitive distortions between Member States, while others argue that State aid rules should be made more lenient. This article discusses the State aid tools that Member States can use to deal with the effects of the pandemic, focusing on the role of economic and financial analysis to support the application of these tools. The article examines how Member States can provide liquidity support to companies in compliance with State aid rules, before looking at how Member States could provide more longer-term funding solutions to companies to deal with the effects of the pandemic without breaching State aid rules. Keywords: COVID-19, liquidity support, compensation for damages, rescue aid, restructuring aid, economic and financial analysis, recapitalisations