Abstract:

The regulation of the European Union's State aid policy supports the smooth functioning of the EU internal market and brings transparency and legal certainty into the process of deepening economic cooperation between Member States EU. The proper functioning of the EU single market requires strict and efficient applications of the competition rules by national authorities of the Member States. The notion “State aid” is defined in Article 107(1) the Treaty on the  functioning of the European Union. De Minimis aid, sometimes referred to as ad hoc Minimis aid, is a sub-category of State aid to which specific rules apply in the context of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The European Union regulations lay down strict conditions for the provision of De Minimis aid. In Slovakia, they are applied since 1 January 2016 by the Act No. 358/2015 Coll. on Adjustment of Certain Relations in State Aid and De Minimis aid. This study aims to introduce and analyze the new measures of De Minimis aid applied in Slovakia governing the conditions to provide the aid. The study also includes an analysis of the De Minimis aid in the agricultural sector and in the sector of Services of General Economic Interest.