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Ryanair gets rare wins in EU court over state aid for KLM, TAP
By Foo Yun Chee
Reuters
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Ryanair won two victories in its fight against billions of euros extended in state aid to rivals as Europe s second-highest court annulled the support given to KLM and Portugal s TAP on the grounds that regulators failed to justify the huge cash injections.
The Luxembourg-based General Court, however, said the annulments - and the recovery of the money - would be suspended pending new decisions by the Commission.
Ryanair can challenge those new decisions at the same court if it is not satisfied with them.
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But KLM, the Dutch arm of Air France, said the judgment was of no consequence as the state aid will not have to be repaid until the Commission has a chance to review the decision.
TAP declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
Portugal’s Prime Minister Antonio Costa told reporters the decision was preliminary and the aid was justified in view of the impact of the pandemic.
“Given the crisis that hit the aviation sector around the world, it was unthinkable for the European Commission not to lift restrictions on state aid,” he said. “There is no reason to believe their legal experts did not study the matter well.”
By CHEN WEIHUA in Brussels | China Daily Global | Updated: 2021-05-11 09:27 Share CLOSE European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday joins with Erasmus exchange students in Strasbourg, France, where a major EU event opened. [JEAN-FRANCOIS BADIAS/REUTERS]
Weaknesses after virus hit spur reform bid as yearlong conference opens
European Union leaders pledged on Sunday to bolster the bloc s resilience and unity－possibly with a revision of its treaties－as they kicked off the yearlong Conference on the Future of Europe.
The inaugural event of the conference, which will invite public debate on the way forward for the EU, came 15 months after COVID-19 struck the world. Within the region, the pandemic inflicted great damage, with a devastating loss of lives and economic upheavals. The impact exposed the bloc s internal divisions when member states closed borders and imposed export restrictions on medical su