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Statligt stöd till idrott inom Europa och dess förenlighet med EU-rätten - En analys om statsstöd till idrottsområdet inom EU med fokus på professionell fotboll

Karlsson Pascu, Johan LU (2017) HARH01 20171
Department of Business Law
Abstract
Sport movement especially football has change its structure of the sport drastically during the 20th century. Football has transformed from being a non-profit activity with one of its purpose to gather the locals for a friendly game to a multibillion industry within Europe. EU: s competition law has played a crucial part to maintain the development for sport and to prevent distortion of competition from state aids given from the member states in the EU. The European Commission has investigated several cases regarding state aid provided to the sports clubs where the results of the outcome are various. State aid is given under different circumstances from the member states to the sports association, the most common ones are selling of land... (More)
Sport movement especially football has change its structure of the sport drastically during the 20th century. Football has transformed from being a non-profit activity with one of its purpose to gather the locals for a friendly game to a multibillion industry within Europe. EU: s competition law has played a crucial part to maintain the development for sport and to prevent distortion of competition from state aids given from the member states in the EU. The European Commission has investigated several cases regarding state aid provided to the sports clubs where the results of the outcome are various. State aid is given under different circumstances from the member states to the sports association, the most common ones are selling of land under market price, tax reductions or that the member state grant a loan to the sport association to reduce the financial pressure on the club. The concept to always support your local club is often perceived as a positive thing but is not always compatible with the EU competition law and especially state aid law.

To encourage a healthy competition in sports it is necessary for the EU competition law to give a desirable effect on the sports area. State aid is not always prohibited according to the EU Treaties, but a consideration is made from the principle of proportionality where requirements on fairness, adequacy and necessity is examined whether to obtain a legitimate intervention from the state aid or not. The purpose with this consideration is that no economic advantage is given to a sport club and to prevent distortion of competition within the sport area. State aids awarded must be notified to the Commission for a preliminary investigation before they are implemented, exemption from notification is in the form of exemption and de minimis aid. The consequences of non-notified aid is reimbursement from the receiver, which can have devastating consequences for the sports club. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Idrottsrörelsen med fotboll i fokus har kommit att förändra sin struktur avsevärt under 1900-talet. Fotbollen har gått från att vara en ideell verksamhet med syfte att samla de lokala invånarna för att utöva sporten till en miljardindustri inom Europa. EU:s konkurrensregler har kommit att spela en viktig roll för att främja idrottens utveckling samt förhindra att marknaden snedvrids genom ekonomiska bidrag från staten. EU-kommissionen har behandlat ett flertal mål rörande statsstöd till de nationella idrottsklubbarna där utgången inte alltid varit den andra lik. Ett statsstöd kan ges i olika former från medlemsstaterna till idrottsklubbarna. De vanligaste är skattelättnader, försäljning av mark till underpris eller att staten övertar lån... (More)
Idrottsrörelsen med fotboll i fokus har kommit att förändra sin struktur avsevärt under 1900-talet. Fotbollen har gått från att vara en ideell verksamhet med syfte att samla de lokala invånarna för att utöva sporten till en miljardindustri inom Europa. EU:s konkurrensregler har kommit att spela en viktig roll för att främja idrottens utveckling samt förhindra att marknaden snedvrids genom ekonomiska bidrag från staten. EU-kommissionen har behandlat ett flertal mål rörande statsstöd till de nationella idrottsklubbarna där utgången inte alltid varit den andra lik. Ett statsstöd kan ges i olika former från medlemsstaterna till idrottsklubbarna. De vanligaste är skattelättnader, försäljning av mark till underpris eller att staten övertar lån som idrottsklubben har för att underlätta rent ekonomiskt. Att främja de lokala idrottsklubbarna kan uppfattas som någonting positivt, men är inte alltid förenligt med EU-rättens konkurrensregler, till vilka EU:s statsstödsregler hör.

För att främja en hälsosam konkurrens inom idrotten är det nödvändigt att konkurrensreglerna inom EU ger en önskvärd effekt på idrottsområdet. Förbudet mot statligt stöd är inte undantagslöst EU:s fördrag, men om en stödåtgärd ska tillåtas måste en avvägning göras i form av en proportionalitetsbedömning där krav på rimlighet, lämplighet och nödvändighet ställs för att säkerställa att åtgärden uppnår ett legitimt syfte. Åtgärden får inte syfta till att ge en ekonomisk fördel till en idrottsklubb som riskerar att snedvrida den marknaden klubben är verksam inom. Statsstöden som delas ut måste meddelas till kommissionen för en preliminär undersökning innan de verkställs, undantag från anmälningsplikten finns dock i form av gruppundantag och stöd av mindre betydelse. Konsekvenserna av ett oanmält stöd är återbetalningsskyldighet från mottagaren vilket kan få förödande konsekvenser för idrottsklubben. (Less)
Popular Abstract
Sport movement especially football has change its structure of the sport drastically during the 20th century. Football has transformed from being a non-profit activity with one of its purpose to gather the locals for a friendly game to a multibillion industry within Europe. EU: s competition law has played a crucial part to maintain the development for sport and to prevent distortion of competition from state aids given from the member states in the EU. The European Commission has investigated several cases regarding state aid provided to the sports clubs where the results of the outcome are various. State aid is given under different circumstances from the member states to the sports association, the most common ones are selling of land... (More)
Sport movement especially football has change its structure of the sport drastically during the 20th century. Football has transformed from being a non-profit activity with one of its purpose to gather the locals for a friendly game to a multibillion industry within Europe. EU: s competition law has played a crucial part to maintain the development for sport and to prevent distortion of competition from state aids given from the member states in the EU. The European Commission has investigated several cases regarding state aid provided to the sports clubs where the results of the outcome are various. State aid is given under different circumstances from the member states to the sports association, the most common ones are selling of land under market price, tax reductions or that the member state grant a loan to the sport association to reduce the financial pressure on the club. The concept to always support your local club is often perceived as a positive thing but is not always compatible with the EU competition law and especially state aid law.

To encourage a healthy competition in sports it is necessary for the EU competition law to give a desirable effect on the sports area. State aid is not always prohibited according to the EU Treaties, but a consideration is made from the principle of proportionality where requirements on fairness, adequacy and necessity is examined whether to obtain a legitimate intervention from the state aid or not. The purpose with this consideration is that no economic advantage is given to a sport club and to prevent distortion of competition within the sport area. State aids awarded must be notified to the Commission for a preliminary investigation before they are implemented, exemption from notification is in the form of exemption and de minimis aid. The consequences of non-notified aid is reimbursement from the receiver, which can have devastating consequences for the sports club. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Karlsson Pascu, Johan LU
supervisor
organization
course
HARH01 20171
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
European Union competition Law, State Aid, State Aid to football
language
Swedish
id
8910483
date added to LUP
2017-06-09 09:27:40
date last changed
2017-06-09 09:27:40
@misc{8910483,
  abstract     = {{Sport movement especially football has change its structure of the sport drastically during the 20th century. Football has transformed from being a non-profit activity with one of its purpose to gather the locals for a friendly game to a multibillion industry within Europe. EU: s competition law has played a crucial part to maintain the development for sport and to prevent distortion of competition from state aids given from the member states in the EU. The European Commission has investigated several cases regarding state aid provided to the sports clubs where the results of the outcome are various. State aid is given under different circumstances from the member states to the sports association, the most common ones are selling of land under market price, tax reductions or that the member state grant a loan to the sport association to reduce the financial pressure on the club. The concept to always support your local club is often perceived as a positive thing but is not always compatible with the EU competition law and especially state aid law. 

To encourage a healthy competition in sports it is necessary for the EU competition law to give a desirable effect on the sports area. State aid is not always prohibited according to the EU Treaties, but a consideration is made from the principle of proportionality where requirements on fairness, adequacy and necessity is examined whether to obtain a legitimate intervention from the state aid or not. The purpose with this consideration is that no economic advantage is given to a sport club and to prevent distortion of competition within the sport area. State aids awarded must be notified to the Commission for a preliminary investigation before they are implemented, exemption from notification is in the form of exemption and de minimis aid. The consequences of non-notified aid is reimbursement from the receiver, which can have devastating consequences for the sports club.}},
  author       = {{Karlsson Pascu, Johan}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Statligt stöd till idrott inom Europa och dess förenlighet med EU-rätten - En analys om statsstöd till idrottsområdet inom EU med fokus på professionell fotboll}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}