No: state aid is not used to protect “national companies”

Contrary to what is suggested by sovereign rhetoric, in general the asset to be defended is not the national company as such but the system of rules that allows for fair competition

In July, a new European regulation came into force (2022/2560) which governs the aid that companies operating on the common market could receive from non-EU governments because, for example, they are controlled by them. It is a somewhat technical question but it concerns the lives of all of us Europeans and also refers to more general issues. Let’s proceed in order by rewinding the tape of events. One of the pillars of the European house is that of the internal common market which, since 1993, has allowed citizens, capital, goods and services to move freely within the EU. Also thanks to it, today the EU is worth 15% of the global economy and is one of the main world markets. The basic idea is that a common market reduces transaction costs and stimulates the competitiveness of businesses, allowing the best to emerge.