Public Service Broadcasting and EC State Aid Rules : A Review of the Broadcasting Communication
In 2009 the Commission adopted a new Communication on the application of State aid rules to public service broadcasting. The new Broadcasting Communication includes fresh measures and reveals a trend giving Member States a greater role with regard to the compatibility of State aid granted for SGEI with the EC Treaty. The introduction of a prior evaluation test which would assess the public value and the impact on the market for significant new activities is a novelty in this area. The revision of the Broadcasting Communication gave rise to several issues which are also of general interest for other SGEIs, and these are discussed in the present contribution