Ayudas de Estado en tiempos de pandemiadoctrina del Tribunal General de la Unión Europea

Abstract

Antitrust policy is one of the cornerstones of the European internal market. The granting of state aid can have the effect of distorting competition, compromising one of the basic principles of European integration, which is why the Commission has been given important powers in this area to ensure the proper development of the internal market. However, in crisis scenarios such as the one we are currently experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary exceptions are allowed, justified by the exceptional nature of the situation, fueling the debate that has arisen over the appropriateness of temporary public support measures in terms of competition policy, which entails strict control by the Commission of state aid, as a guarantee of the so-called "level playing field" in the internal market, and the need to streamline the applicable regulatory framework with the aim of speeding up the granting of aid, which is essential for economic and social recovery in a shorter period of time.