Abstract
According to the State Aid Modernisation Communication (COM/2012/0209 final), competition policy includes State aid control to ensure that the functioning of the internal market is not distorted by the anticompetitive behaviour of Member States favouring some actors to the detriment of others. It means, ex multis, a prioritization and closer scrutiny of aid that has a significant impact on the internal market for the Commission on one hand, and a simplification of rules for the analysis of cases of a more local nature that have little effect on trade on the other. Consequently, the new Italian legislative model divided the assessment of aid into three macro tasks for the whole Italian administration. The first of these is compliance, which represents the most challenging task; it requires multilevel coordination and monitoring, otherwise referred to as complex coordination activity. The second is transparency, bringing together both a rationalization of the public workload and a simplification of the aid-granting system. The third involves networking activities on a multilevel stage, both internal and external. In the State Aid Modernisation, the Commission launched a renewed partnership with the Member States on the implementation of the reform program. The aim of this chapter is to highlight the competencies of and challenges for national authorities and the coordination tasks falling to the sui generis administrative body that is Italy’s Department for European Policies. Recently, the role of this sui generis body emerged in the conclusion of the Common Understanding with the European Commission, which contains common principles in the coordination of State aid. The chapter is organized as follows: the first part will emphasize the machinery of State aid in Italy from the public perspective. This is the environment in which the role of the coordinator emerges. In the central part of the chapter, the tasks proper to each body and the way the national bodies are embedded into the awkward legal order will be analysed. In the conclusion, further criticisms and suggestions are made.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Communication from the Commission, EU State Aid Modernisation (SAM), COM/2012/0209 final.
- 2.
On the Commission’s approach, i.e. the réglementation, to itself regulating the internal market or the separate parts of it (e.g. energy, communication, banking, etc.) by establishing central coordinating authorities or bodies, see Bilancia (2012), p. 5. On the differences with agencies and the bipartition between executive and regulatory agencies, see V. Salvatore, Le Agenzie tra Unione Europea e Stati Membri. Oltre la Sussidiarietà, in Salvatore (2011), p. 17 et seqq. Moreover, on the history of Italian Administrative Independent Authorities see Sanino (2015).
- 3.
The EU Commission’s documents also include the national courts among authorities (e.g. http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consultations/2014_state_aid_notion/draft_guidance_en.pdf). In this contribution, national courts will be expressly referred to as ‘courts’.
- 4.
Communication from the Commission, EU State Aid Modernisation (SAM), COM/2012/0209 final.
- 5.
As defined in the Common Understanding: “The legislative and administrative power is exercised by the State and the regions in accordance with their respective fields of competence, constitutionally provided. It is, therefore, a quasi-federal system, under which the economic decisions on the allocation of public resources can respond to assessments related to the territory where such choices are made”.
- 6.
Article 117 provides the subdivision of legislative competences and Article 119 the financial autonomy.
- 7.
Case C-451/03, Servizi Ausiliari Dottori Commercialisti [2006] ECR I-0294, para. 20.
- 8.
“Croatia shall establish an operationally independent authority which is entrusted with the powers necessary for the full application of paragraph 1(iii) of this Article [the notion of aid as enshrined in article 107 TFEU] within one year from the date of entry into force of this Agreement. This authority shall have, inter alia, the powers to authorise State aid schemes and individual aid grants in conformity with paragraph 2 of this Article, as well as the powers to order the recovery of State aid that has been unlawfully granted.” Official Journal L 26, 28/01/2005, p. 3.
- 9.
It is debatable whether a State aid central authority would be able to apply national legislation, as happens in antitrust matters. For instance, see Case C-198/01, Consorzio Industrie Fiammiferi (CIF) v Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato [2003] ECR I-08055.
- 10.
It is possible to identify three forms of EU networked administrative governance: EU Agencies that rely on contribution from national authorities, institutionalised networks of national authorities and the open method of coordination. Saurer (2012), p. 619. Currently State aid authorities are part of the first group, insofar as a unique EU institution, i.e. the Commission, carries out the task itself. Moreover, the national authority involved with the contribution is not specified, creating, as a consequence, an administrative vacuum. In that sense EU State aid is a supranational policy.
- 11.
A recent example of such a difference between antitrust and State aid authorities is the last Commission public consultation entitled “Empowering the national competition authorities to be more effective enforcers” (http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consultations/2015_effective_enforcers/index_en.html). It is stated that the NCAs play a key role in enforcing the EU antitrust rules alongside the Commission. That role is not yet provided—or imagined to be empowered—for SAAs.
- 12.
For a report on the first 20 years of activity, see Bedogni and Barucci (2010).
- 13.
Article 21-bis. Poteri dell’Autorità garante della concorrenza e del mercato sugli atti amministrativi che determinano distorsioni della concorrenza. L’Autorità garante della concorrenza e del mercato è legittimata ad agire in giudizio contro gli atti amministrativi generali, i regolamenti ed i provvedimenti di qualsiasi amministrazione pubblica che violino le norme a tutela della concorrenza e del mercato. L’Autorità garante della concorrenza e del mercato, se ritiene che una pubblica amministrazione abbia emanato un atto in violazione delle norme a tutela della concorrenza e del mercato, emette, entro sessanta giorni, un parere motivato, nel quale indica gli specifici profili delle violazioni riscontrate. Se la pubblica amministrazione non si conforma nei sessanta giorni successivi alla comunicazione del parere, l’Autorità può presentare, tramite l’Avvocatura dello Stato, il ricorso, entro i successivi trenta giorni.
- 14.
There is interesting discussion about the legal standing power of the AGCM: whether it represents a special locus standi, because decoupled from a proper ownership of legal qualified position; or, conversely, whether the competition compliance is a particular form of legitimate interest, a sort of widespread interest, i.e. the community interest, which AGCM carries out. On this point see Sanino (2015), p. 268 et seqq. Although there is no express reference to State aid matters, the author spoke about competition safeguarding as a legal interest in re ipsa and the functioning of internal market. It seems reasonable to consider State aid part of it.
- 15.
Article 22 Attività consultiva. L’Autorità può esprimere pareri sulle iniziative legislative o regolamentari e sui problemi riguardanti la concorrenza ed il mercato quando lo ritenga opportuno, o su richiesta di amministrazioni ed enti pubblici interessati. Il Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri può chiedere il parere dell’Autorità sulle iniziative legislative o regolamentari che abbiano direttamente per effetto:
-
a)
di sottomettere l’esercizio di una attività o l’accesso ad un mercato a restrizioni quantitative;
-
b)
di stabilire diritti esclusivi in certe aree;
-
c)
di imporre pratiche generalizzate in materia di prezzi e di condizioni di vendita.
-
a)
- 16.
The Lisbon Reform has not amended the core provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union regarding State aid but has changed the numbering. For more information see http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/legislation/compilation/a_01_03_11_en.pdf.
- 17.
The new act provides, repealing Law 11 of 2005, the general basis for the involvement of Parliament, government, regions and other institutional actors forming the Italian position in the arrangement phase of EU acts and policies and the fulfilment of obligations of the EU legal order. On the participation of Italy in the EU integration process, see Adam and Tizzano (2014), p. 503 et seqq.
- 18.
The specific tools to adapt the Italian law system to the European one are set out in two annual laws: “European Law” and “European Delegation Law”. The purpose of the “European Law” is to adapt national legislation and national specific rules to changes in European law, such as new specific provisions possibly deriving from European Court judiciaries, while the purpose of the “European Delegation Law” is to adopt criteria for the transposition of directives adopted at EU level.
- 19.
The norm provides dispositions about aids to firms using public resources.
- 20.
According to the amendment introduced by Law 122 of 7 July 2016, to Article 45 of Law 234/2012, central and territorial administrations which intend to grant State aid subject to prior notification under Article 108(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union prepare the notification in accordance with the procedures prescribed by European legislation and transmit it to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers—Department for European Policies through the electronic notification system. The European Policy Department carries out an examination of the completeness of the documentation contained in the notification.
- 21.
For further information on the “pre-validazione”, please see the following pages.
- 22.
According to the agency theory, the government (in this case of Italy) plays the most important role in Public Expenditure Management (PEM) relations. On one hand, the local granting authorities have considerable autonomy in expenditure decisions; on the other hand, the elected central government takes part in the bilateral dialogue with the Commission for every kind of formal and informal appointment (see below under ‘networking’).
- 23.
Article 107(1) Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union OJ C 326, 26.10.2012, pp. 47–390: “Any aid granted by a Member State or through State resources in any form whatsoever which distorts or threatens to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods shall, in so far as it affects trade between Member States, be incompatible with the internal market.”
- 24.
Article 107(2) and (3) Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union OJ C 326, 26.10.2012, pp. 47–390. “The following shall be compatible with the internal market: (a) aid having a social character, granted to individual consumers, provided that such aid is granted without discrimination related to the origin of the products concerned; (b) aid to make good the damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences; (c) aid granted to the economy of certain areas of the Federal Republic of Germany affected by the division of Germany, in so far as such aid is required in order to compensate for the economic disadvantages caused by that division. Five years after the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, may adopt a decision repealing this point. 3. The following may be considered to be compatible with the internal market: (a) aid to promote the economic development of areas where the standard of living is abnormally low or where there is serious underemployment, and of the regions referred to in Article 349, in view of their structural, economic and social situation; (b) aid to promote the execution of an important project of common European interest or to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State; (c) aid to facilitate the development of certain economic activities or of certain economic areas, where such aid does not adversely affect trading conditions to an extent contrary to the common interest; (d) aid to promote culture and heritage conservation where such aid does not affect trading conditions and competition in the Union to an extent that is contrary to the common interest; (e) such other categories of aid as may be specified by decision of the Council on a proposal from the Commission.”
- 25.
According to Joined Cases 261/01 and C-262/01, Van Calster and Cleeren [2003] Report not available, paras. 49–52, the Member State is required to notify not only planned aid in the narrow sense, but also the method of financing the aid inasmuch as that method is an integral part of the planned measure (e.g. taxes or tax avoidance). In the context of aid schemes, the necessity of a coordinating body able to detect the possible presence of aid in the ex ante phase emerges.
- 26.
The aim of the course is to promote comprehension of the modernization process and rules for State aid control. The schedule is arranged as follows: notion of State aid; forms of aid; physiology and pathology of aids; State Aid Modernisation; SGEI; notification system.
- 27.
State Aid Modernisation Communication, Recital 21: “Should the Commission decide to increase the size and scope of aid measures exempt from notification obligation, responsibilities of Member States for ensuring the correct enforcement of State aid rules would increase. With more measures exempt from the notification requirement, Member States will have to ensure the ex ante compliance with State aid rules of de minimis measures and block-exempted schemes and cases, in strict coordination with the Commission which will continue to exercise ex post control of such measures.”
- 28.
State aid statistics (Status: 19 November 2013), Number of notifications submitted by Member States.
- 29.
State aid statistics (Status: 19 November 2013), Statistics on block-exempted measures.
- 30.
All the statistics are reported in the State Aid Scoreboard of DG COMP, http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/scoreboard/index_en.html.
- 31.
One difference must be noted: in the present article, ex post evaluation concerns exclusively an ex post scrutiny of national aid measures in order to establish their compatibility, rather than an assessment of their positive or negative effects in the market. The question will be settled in next section.
- 32.
Commission Notice on a Best Practices Code on the conduct of State aid control proceedings OJ C 136, 16.06.2009, pp. 13–20.
- 33.
1. Il Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri o il Ministro per gli affari europei, sulla base delle informazioni ricevute dalle amministrazioni competenti, trasmette ogni tre mesi alle Camere, alla Corte dei conti, alle regioni e alle province autonome un elenco, articolato per settore e materia […] 2. Il Ministro dell’economia e delle finanze, di concerto con il Ministro per gli affari europei, trasmette ogni sei mesi alle Camere e alla Corte dei conti informazioni sulle eventuali conseguenze di carattere finanziario degli atti e delle procedure di cui al comma 1 […].
- 34.
When the granting authority is the State or a central administration, all the recovery procedures are undertaken by Equitalia SPA, regardless of the aid’s form. By contrast, when the granting authority differs from the State, all recovery procedures are carried out by the concessionaire.
- 35.
There is an open debate on the amicus curiae claims by national judges to the Commission. On this point, see: Vecchietti and Liberati (2013), pp. 813–820.
- 36.
Article 49 Law 234/2012: 1. All’articolo 119, comma 1, del codice del processo amministrativo, di cui all’allegato 1 del decreto legislativo 2 luglio 2010, n. 104, dopo la lettera m-quater) e’ aggiunta la seguente: “m-quinquies) gli atti e i provvedimenti adottati in esecuzione di una decisione di recupero di cui all’articolo 14 del regolamento (CE) n. 659/1999 del Consiglio, del 22 marzo 1999 [now Article 16 Council Regulation (EU) 1589/2015]”.
- 37.
- 38.
See IP/12/458.
- 39.
- 40.
In the Deggendorf judgment, the CFI confirmed that, in the assessment of new aid granted to the same beneficiary, the Commission may take any outstanding repayment into account, the Member State submitting a new notification to commit to suspending the new aid until all outstanding aid amounts have been recovered. Joined Cases T-244/93 and T-486/93. TWD Deggendorf v Commission [1995] ECR II-2265, para. 56.
- 41.
Article 11 of European Law 2014.
- 42.
The BDA (Banca Dati Agevolazioni) was issued by the ministerial decree of 18 October 2001 and reviewed by Article 52 L. 234/2012. It concerns the preservation of information about aids to firms and the transmission to the Commission. In order to achieve this aim, the Minister of Economic Development (MISE) acquires all the information on granted State aids: a) recipient b) if it is a part of a scheme c) granting law or provision d) type and amount of incentives e) activities and aim behind the incentives f) withdrawn incentives g) expected and realized objectives.
- 43.
Registro Nazionale degli Aiuti di Stato. 1. Al fine di garantire il rispetto dei divieti di cumulo e degli obblighi di trasparenza e di pubblicità previsti dalla normativa europea e nazionale in materia di aiuti di Stato, i soggetti pubblici o privati che concedono ovvero gestiscono i predetti aiuti trasmettono le relative informazioni alla banca dati istituita presso il Ministero dello sviluppo economico ai sensi dell’articolo 14, comma 2, della legge 5 marzo 2001, n. 57, che assume la denominazione di “Registro nazionale degli aiuti di Stato”. 2. Il Registro di cui al comma 1 contiene, in particolare, le informazioni concernenti: a) gli aiuti di Stato di cui all’articolo 107 del Trattato sul funzionamento dell’ Unione Europea, ivi compresi gli aiuti in esenzione dalla notifica; b) gli aiuti de minimis come definiti dal regolamento (CE) n. 1998/2006 della Commissione, del 15 dicembre 2006, e dal regolamento (UE) n. 1407/2013 della Commissione, del 18 dicembre 2013, nonché dalle disposizioni dell’Unione Europea che saranno successivamente adottate nella medesima materia; c) gli aiuti concessi a titolo di compensazione per i servizi di interesse economico generale, ivi compresi gli aiuti de minimis ai sensi del regolamento (UE) n. 360/2012 della Commissione, del 25 aprile 2012; d) l’elenco dei soggetti tenuti alla restituzione degli aiuti incompatibili dei quali la Commissione europea abbia ordinato il recupero ai sensi dell’articolo 14 del regolamento (CE) n. 659/1999 del Consiglio, del 22 marzo 1999. […].
- 44.
7. ((A decorrere dal 1° luglio 2017)), la trasmissione delle informazioni al Registro di cui al comma 1 e ((…)) l’adempimento degli obblighi di interrogazione del Registro medesimo costituiscono condizione legale di efficacia dei provvedimenti che dispongono concessioni ed erogazioni degli aiuti di cui al comma 2. I provvedimenti di concessione e di erogazione di detti aiuti indicano espressamente l’avvenuto inserimento delle informazioni nel Registro e l’avvenuta interrogazione dello stesso. L’inadempimento degli obblighi di cui ai commi 1 e 3 nonché al secondo periodo del presente comma e’ rilevato, anche d’ufficio, dai soggetti di cui al comma 1 e comporta la responsabilità patrimoniale del responsabile della concessione o dell’erogazione degli aiuti. L’inadempimento e’ rilevabile anche dall’impresa beneficiaria ai fini del risarcimento del danno.
- 45.
‘Interested party’ means any Member State and any person, undertaking or association of undertakings whose interests might be affected by the granting of aid, in particular the beneficiary of the aid, competing undertakings and trade associations. Article 1 (h) COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) 2015/1589 of 13 July 2015 laying down detailed rules for the application of Article 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (codification).
- 46.
Joined Cases C-74/00 P and C-75/00 P, Falck and Acciaierie di Bolzano v. Commission [2002] ECR I-7869, para. 81.
- 47.
Speech at High Level Forum of Member States by Margrethe Vestager, Commissioner for Competition, 18 December 2014. See http://ec.europa.eu/commission/2014-2019/vestager/announcements/speech-high-level-forum-member-states-margrethe-vestager-commissioner-competition-18-december-2014_en.
- 48.
References
Adam R, Tizzano A (2014) Lineamenti di Diritto dell’Unione Europea. Terza Edizione, Giappichelli, Torino
Bedogni C, Barucci P (a cura di) (2010) Venti Anni di Antitrust, L’evoluzione dell’Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, Giappichelli
Bilancia P (2012) La Regolazione dei Mercati di Settore tra Autorità Indipendenti Nazionali e Organismi Europei. Giuffrè Editore, Milano
Case C-198/01, Consorzio Industrie Fiammiferi (CIF) v Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, [2003] E.C.R. I-08055
Case C-451/03, Servizi Ausiliari Dottori Commercialisti, [2006] E.C.R. I-0294
Commission Notice on a Best Practices Code on the conduct of State aid control proceedings OJ C 136, 16.06.2009
Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty OJ L 187, 26.6.2014, pp 1–78
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. EU State Aid Modernisation (SAM)/* COM/2012/0209 final */ http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:52012DC0209
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union OJ C 326, 26.10.2012
Council Regulation (EU) 2015/1589 of 13 July 2015 laying down detailed rules for the application of Article 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (codification)
Decreto Del Presidente Della Repubblica 28 dicembre 2000, n. 445 “Disposizioni legislative in materia di documentazione amministrativa. (Testo A).”pubblicato nella Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 42 del 20 febbraio 2001- Supplemento ordinario n. 30
Joined Cases 261/01 and C-262/01, Van Calster and Cleeren, [2003] Report not available
Joined Cases C-74/00 P and C-75/00 P, Falck and Acciaierie di Bolzano v. Commission, [2002] ECR. p. I-7869
Joined Cases T-244/93 and T-486/93. TWD Deggendorf v Commission [1995] ECR II-2265
Legge 10 ottobre 1990, n. 287 - Norme per la tutela della concorrenza e del mercato, Gazzetta Ufficiale del 13 ottobre 1990, n. 240
Legge 24 dicembre 2012, n. 234, Norme generali sulla partecipazione dell’Italia alla formazione e all’attuazione della normativa e delle politiche dell’Unione europea, Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 3 del 4 gennaio 2013
Notice from the Commission — Towards an effective implementation of Commission decisions ordering Member States to recover unlawful and incompatible State aid OJ C 272, 15.11.2007, pp 4–17
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the ERDF, the ESF, the CF, the EARFD and the EMFF and laying down general provisions on the ERDF, the ESF, the CF and the EMFF and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006, O.J., L 347, 20.12.2013
Salvatore V (a cura di) (2011) Le Agenzie dell’Unione Europea, Profili Istituzionali e Tendenze Evolutive, Pavia Jean Monnet Centre
Sanino M (2015) L’Approdo dell’Esperienza delle Autorità Indipendenti a Oltre Venti Anni dalla loro Istituzione, Wolters Kluwer Cedam
Saurer J (2012) In: Ackerman SR, Lindesth PL (eds) Comparative administrative law, Research handbooks in comparative law series. Edward Elgar Publishing
Speech at High Level Forum of Member States by Margrethe Vestager, Commissioner for Competition, 18 December 2014. http://ec.europa.eu/commission/2014-2019/vestager/announcements/speech-high-level-forum-member-states-margrethe-vestager-commissioner-competition-18-december-2014_en
Stabilization and Association Agreement between the Republic of Croatia and the European Communities and their Member States Official Journal L 26, 28/01/2005
State Aid Manual of Procedures Internal DG Competition working documents on procedures for the application of Articles 107 and 108 TFEU, Luxembourg, Publications Office of the European Union, 2013
State Aid Scoreboard of DG COMPETITION. http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/scoreboard/index_en.html
State aid statistics (State of play: 19 November 2013), Number of notifications submitted by Member States
State aid statistics (State of play: 19 November 2013), Statistics on block-exempted measures
Vecchietti V, Liberati M (2013) La cooperazione tra i giudici nazionali e la Commissione nel settore degli aiuti di Stato. In: Pace LF (a cura di) Dizionario Sistematico Del Diritto Della Concorrenza, Jovene Editore
Acknowledgements
The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not commit the PCM. The author wishes to thank Filiberto Maria Zavarese, Tonucci & Partners, LL.M. for his comments and suggestions.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Vecchietti, V. (2018). Tasks for National Authorities in the Modernization Era: A Case Study—Italy. In: Nascimbene, B., Di Pascale, A. (eds) The Modernisation of State Aid for Economic and Social Development. Studies in European Economic Law and Regulation, vol 14. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99226-6_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99226-6_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-99225-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-99226-6
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)