The Commission has launched two separate public consultations inviting stakeholders’ views on the application of the State aid rules in two sectors; aviation and broadband infrastructure.
In relation to the aviation sector consultation, there are currently two sets of State aid guidelines – published in 1994 and 2005 – that set out the principles for the application of the State aid rules in the sector. The Commission considers the sector has undergone a wide-ranging evolution in recent years such that the circumstances in which the airlines, airports and the State operate in this sector may well be different from those which prevailed when the 1994 and/or 2005 aviation guidelines were introduced. The aviation consultation takes the form of a detailed questionnaire and seeks stakeholders’ views on aspects such as market characteristics, business models of airports and airlines and market definition. The deadline for responding to the aviation sector consultation is 6 June 2011.
IP/11/445 7 April 2011
On broadband infrastructure, the Commission is obliged to review the State aid rules on public financing of broadband infrastructure in 2012. Accordingly, the aim of this initial broadband infrastructure consultation is to inform the Commission’s forthcoming review, particularly relating to important market, technological and regulatory developments in the sector. The broadband infrastructure consultation takes the form of a detailed questionnaire and addresses themes such as next generation access (so called NGA) networks, areas of public intervention and the role of national regulatory authorities. The deadline for responding to the broadband infrastructure consultation is 31 August 2011.
IP/11/493 19 April 2011
