State Aid

The importance of state aid law has grown enormously in recent years. What are the consequences of the legislation and regulatory framework related to state aid for public authorities and companies that operate partly in the private domain and partly in the public domain? And how does one safeguard compliance with state aid law?

These are all topical issues on which seven state aid specialists at Pels Rijcken provide advice on a daily basis, making this the largest state aid team in the Netherlands. Our team assists many organisations, for example with European Commission procedures, cooperation with the corporate world, mergers of research institutes, the creation of spinouts and applications for European subsidies.

Cooperation

Cooperation is the key word in our approach. This starts with really listening to the client. We also take care to find the right form of advice: a PowerPoint presentation for the board of directors, a quick scan for the project leader or a more in-depth recommendation for the company lawyer. We always provide a customised service. Providing advice is more than just explaining the law. Due to extensive experience with European Commission procedures, we also expressly incorporate a more policy-related background into our recommendations. We make predictions about how organisations will apply a certain rule in practice. This enables us to make a practical and realistic risk-assessment.