Training Sessions on State Aid at Europe Café
On May 22–23, 2025, Europe Café hosted a series of training sessions on state aid, organized as part of the EU-funded Twinning project “Strengthening the institutional capacity of the Competition Council to implement competition and state aid policy in line with EU best practices.”
The sessions were led by Alis Bărbulescu, a representative of the State Aid Directorate within Romania’s Competition Council. They were aimed at civil servants from the Competition Council of the Republic of Moldova and other national public authorities.
Participants explored key concepts of state aid following EU legislation and case law. Topics included the definitions of “undertaking” and “economic activity,” “state resources” and “imputability,” as well as “selectivity” and “economic advantage.”
The training sessions were interactive and practice-oriented. They featured case studies inspired by the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union covering fields such as healthcare, research, and sports. Presenters highlighted that an activity may be considered economic even if the entity involved is not formally organized as an undertaking. Special attention was given to the criterion of selectivity and the granting of an economic advantage.
According to the organizers, these sessions make a significant contribution to enhancing the capacity of Moldovan institutions to understand and apply European state aid rules, thereby supporting the country’s European integration path.
Context
The EU-funded Twinning project, with a duration of 27 months, aims to strengthen the Competition Council’s capacity to implement competition and state aid policies in line with Moldova’s EU accession commitments. It supports the development of the internal market, ensures fair competition, promotes market integrity, and protects consumer welfare.
