The Market Economy Investor Test in EU State Aid Law unravels the notion of the Market Economy Investor Principle (MEIP).
For more than thirty years, EU and EFTA courts have been using a test for applying the MEIP to determine whether a state intervention amounts to a granting of an economic advantage to a recipient undertaking. If the state wishes to act as a commercial operator, it must comply with the MEIP. Unsurprisingly, the test remains a difficult and controversial legal instrument, and its very existence and credibility have been questioned.
This book analyses the applicability of MEIP in order to clarify doubts and misinterpretations. Such an understanding is crucial because of the negative consequences of the test’s misapplication, and also because the ongoing process of opening markets for more competition blurs the distinction between the public and private sectors.
What’s in this book:-
How this will help you:-
Practitioners, policymakers, and academics will appreciate the clarification offered of the MEIP: the character of an economic advantage under the MEIP and in aid scenarios; how to determine whether the MEIP is applicable to a given state measure; and how to apply the test according to its various subtypes and to atypical or complex interventions.
In addition, the book identifies potential and existing pitfalls in using the MEIP and suggests how to avoid them. The book’s systematic analysis goes a long way to ensuring a credible and reliable assessment of the applicability of state aid under Article 107(1) TFEU.