The EU Court of Justice rules that the extension of existing State aid must be considered as the alteration of that aid and is therefore subject to the obligation of prior notification as new aid (DEI / Alouminion tis Ellados)

The EU Court of Justice’s Judgment provides additional clarification on the effects of the extension of the duration of an existing aid measure. The EU Court of Justice - annulling a Judgment of the EU General Court - rules that the extension of the duration of existing aid measure by a national court must be qualified as an alteration of that aid. Consequently, the aid should be treated as new aid subject to the obligation of prior notification. In the scenario, where a national court plans to extend the duration of an existing aid, the national court thus has the obligation to notify the measures it plans to adopt to the European Commission.