Between the 26th and the 27th of November 2009, Mr. D. Gatidis, member of the State Aid Unit, attended the Autumn Conference on European State Aid Law organised by EStALI (European State Aid Law Institute) in London (King’s College) concerning both recent EU regulatory and case law developments. Commissioner Neelie Kroes, keynote speaker of the conference, presented the principle accomplishments of DG Competition referring to the implementation of the State Aid Action Plan of 2005. Moreover, Mrs N.Kroes stressed out the importance of the adoption of guidelines concerning Services of General Economic Interest, Regional Aid, Aid for Research, Development and Innovation, Environmental Aid, Aid for Training and Employment of disadvantaged or disabled workers, sectoral aid for Broadcasting and Broadband. Commissioner Kroes, additionally, underlined the particular importance of the implementation of the new de minimis and the new General Block Exemption regulations, as well as the key role of the recent simplified notification procedure. Furthermore, Mrs N.Kroes presented the newly signed EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement as the first of next generation FTAs. In addition to this, Commissioner N.Kroes outlined the important notions of the Temporary Framework for Banking Aid which has been put into force in October 2008 and will remain active till late 2010. Finally, N.Kroes announced the EU’s priorities for the 2010 agenda on state aid including mainly transparency issues, private enforcement and further financing of SMEs using the platform of the GBER. In the second part of the conference, speakers examined the procedure and judicial relief in state aid cases as well as state aid in special sectors such as broadcasting and broadband. Finally, it took place a presentation of the new Restructuring Communication of 23.07.2009 referring to the restructuring of financial institutions under art. 87 (3) lit. b EC.
