Since the entry into force of Regulation No 1/2003 national courts have been empowered to apply Articles 101 and 102 TFEU in full. Directive 2014/104/EU (Damages Directive) is intended to fine-tune the interplay between private damages actions and public enforcement of the EU antitrust rules.
The direct effect of the notification requirement and the standstill obligation under EU State aid rules (Art. 108 (3) TFEU), the role of national courts in the recovery of illegally awarded State aid and the possibility of bringing before them private damages actions caused by unlawful State aid also require good knowledge of State aid rules by the judiciary.
The current project is implemented by ERA on behalf of the European Commission with the aim of providing training in EU competition law to national judges from 26 different Member States over a period of four years.
The seminars to be held within the framework of the project will provide national judges with an overview of the application of Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and the relevant secondary legislation, as well as the national legislation transposing the Damages Directive, and will equip them with the necessary tools to deal with State aid cases.
Key topics:
- Overview of Articles 101 and 102 TFEU
- The Damages Directive and its transposition into the domestic legal systems of the Member States
- The role of the national judge in the enforcement of EU State aid rules
- Hands-on training on online databases
