EU State aid control and Covid-19 outbreak: A first commentary

The European Commission has adopted a new Temporary Framework for State aid in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic implementing a flexible approach for approving emergency aid granted by Member States to businesses affected by the pandemic. The Commission’s DG Competition has organised itself in a similar way to its response to the 2008 crisis, setting up a specific email address and telephone number for Member States and listing all measures in a specific
tab on its website. It has adopted a high rate of decisions approving the measures notified by Member States. Given the importance of the unprecedented issues and the exceptional situation facing the global economy in recent weeks, we felt it justified to take stock of the “Covid-19 aid” measures in some detail. The matter is evolving rapidly: it is sufficient to note a first decision on 12 March 2020 (Danmark) before the adoption by the Commission of a framework on 19 March, amended on 3 April, which led to the adoption of 107 other decisions (approving more than 130
different notified measures) from 21 March to 5 May, including 8 other decisions under Article 107(2)(b) [May 2020]
TFEU