State Aid Uncovered

State Aid Uncovered presents an analysis of the main policy and legal developments in the field of state aid in 2025. The European Commission adopted a new framework in June 2025: the Clean Industry State Aid Framework (CISAF). In December 2025, the Commission issued Decision 2025/2630 on the application of Article 106(2) TFEU to state aid in the form of public service compensation granted to providers of services of general economic interest. This decision, which functions as a block exemption, replaced Decision 2012/21. The year was also rich in case law that expanded our understanding of state aid, brought fresh insights, and included a few surprises, expertly explained by Phedon Nicolaides, Emeritus Professor at the University of Maastricht and Visiting Professor at the College of Europe, Bruges, and University of Nicosia, as well as Academic Director at Lexxion Training. Prof. Nicolaides identifies the major state aid judgments and Commission decisions of the year, as well as new rules and legislation, critically reviewing their most salient features. This book compiles articles originally published weekly on Lexxion's 'State Aid Uncovered.' The articles are edited and conveniently grouped into chapters covering the main aspects of the concept and procedures of state aid, Commission guidelines, and the role of national courts. Each article presents the main points of a court ruling or Commission decision, places them in the context of similar case law or practice, assesses the underlying reasoning, and identifies any inconsistencies or contradictions. This volume is supplemented with a full index of CJEU and Commission cases.