It is well-established that the enforcement of EU State aid law by national courts faces practical and legal difficulties. Against this background, SUNAJUST, with the support of the European Commission, has developed a training programme in which national courts are immersed in their role as ‘European State aid judges’.

The project is built on two main pillars: (i) the development of accessible, and engaging course materials; and (ii) the organisation of multiple training events targeting judges, prosecutors, apprentice national judges, and staff of national courts from EU Member States. More specifically, a manual as well as blended learning materials, in combination with two conferences and ten workshops, cover all aspects of the role of national courts as enforcers of EU State aid law.

The interdisciplinary training team will focus, among others, on the following topics: the notion of State aid ex Article 107(1) TFEU, the concept of an undertaking, the standstill obligation ex Article 108(3) TFEU, the concept of new and unlawful aid, the notification procedures, the role of the European Commission as public enforcer of EU State aid law, the concept of de minimis aid, the exceptions to the obligation to notify new aid to the Commission, the role of national courts as enforcers of the EU State aid rules, the cooperation tools provided by the EU law to assist national courts in fulfilling this role, and the State aid Modernisation programme of the Commission.

Find more information here.