In the EU, the use of state funding for private sector projects is always subject to state aid rules, which aim to ensure that competition is not unduly distorted.

Over the past four weeks, we have presented selected case summaries from Cullen International’s new State Aid & Subsidies service, highlighting how the European Commission’s approach to enforcing these state aid rules is evolving together with the EU’s broadband policy objectives.

Our fourth and final highlighted case is a 2020 €200m Italian social voucher measure helping low-income families to subscribe to high-speed broadband services and to lease a PC or tablet.

This was the first notified broadband state aid measure which the EU member state justified based on a social, rather than economic, objective.

EU rules allow aid to individual consumers as long as the aid does not discriminate against any potential supplier of those consumers.

The European Commission’s clearance decision paved the way for similar social voucher measures in other EU countries, ahead of formal guidance expected later this year in the revised Broadband State Aid Guidelines.

For access to the case summary and/or a demo of our case database, please "Request Access" or simply on "Access the full content”, in case you are already subscribed to our State Aid & Subsidies service.