Adinda Sinnaeve

European State Aid Law Quarterly, Volume 13 (2014), Issue 2, Page 261 - 276

I. Introduction The Commission’s de minimis Regulation is a strange animal in competition law. Starting from the concept itself up to its practical implementation, the de minimis rule presents a number of paradoxes. Conceived as a simple and straightforward instrument that provides legal certainty, it can actually reach these goals only to a limited extent and its concrete application is far from easy and a daily source of surprisingly tricky legal qu

Adinda Sinnaeve

European State Aid Law Quarterly, Volume 11 (2012), Issue 2, Page 347 - 367

I. Introduction On 20 December 2011 the Commission adopted a new package of State aid rules for services of general economic interest (SGEI). These instruments entered into force on 31 January 2012.1 This reform had been preceded by a wide consultation process first launched on 23 March 2011 with the adoption of a Communication2 setting out the two key principles on which the Commission intended to base the revision: clarification and a diversified, p

Adinda Sinnaeve

European State Aid Law Quarterly, Volume 10 (2011), Issue 2, Page 211 - 223

I. Introduction On 23 March 2011 the Commission adopted a Communication on the reform of the State aid rules on services of general economic interest (SGEI)1 and made public DG Competition’s long-expected Report2 on the application of the so-called Altmark package regarding compensations for SGEI. The Altmark package had been adopted on 28 November 2005 in order to clarify how, taking into account the Altmark judgment3, the Commission would asses

Adinda Sinnaeve

European State Aid Law Quarterly, Volume 4 (2005), Issue 1, Page 1

I. Introduction Malta’s original and formal economic relations with the European Union mainly concerned trade issues. These were regulated by an Association Agreement with the then European Economic Community and its Member States, first signed on 5 December 1970, which came into force during April 19711. This Agreement sought to strengthen the commercial and economic relations between the parties by progressively eliminating barriers to trade as a fi

Adinda Sinnaeve

European State Aid Law Quarterly, Volume 2 (2003), Issue 3, Page 13