The European Commission is offering support to judges in addressing practical and legal challenges relating to the provision of state aid

Katarína Cangárová, a judge at The Supreme Administrative Court of the Slovak Republic, took part in the continuation of the SUNAJUST training programme on the topic of ‘State Aid Law’ in Riga on 18th–19th June 2026 with the aim of ensuring the effective application of European state aid rules by national courts. The programme featured presentations by European Commission representative Natalia Lazarová and professors from the Brussels Centre for Competition Policy. Participants in the programme included judges from administrative and civil courts across the Member States of the European Union.

The first day of the workshop featured a training session focusing on EU state aid law. It included a recap of the theoretical knowledge covered in the introductory seminar held the previous year in Cyprus (such as the definitional criteria for state aid and the fundamental principles of state aid control) and went on to focus on the powers and roles of national courts in the application of state aid law, including the application of the General Block Exemption Regulation, the de minimis Regulation and the provision of legal protection to competitors of the recipient of unlawful aid who have suffered harm.

On the second day, participants worked in smaller groups on case studies and presented their findings. They also discussed various legal issues relating to state aid that may arise in proceedings before national courts and exchanged practical experiences regarding the application of state aid law, as well as the submission of questions for a preliminary ruling to the Court of Justice of the European Union and requests for information from the European Commission.

“EU state aid law may have various legal implications in proceedings before the administrative and civil courts of the Member States. As I am responsible, under the Work Schedule of the Supreme Administrative Court, for recording and harmonising case law in the field of state aid, and given that I lecture on this subject, I consider it important to expand my knowledge in this area, particularly regarding the latest case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union and the insights and experiences of colleagues from other Member States. I find not only the participation in the event itself beneficial, but also the materials provided, which were prepared specifically for the needs of national judges applying EU state aid law. Participating in such events helps us judges to overcome the practical and legal difficulties involved in enforcing European rules at national level,” said Judge Katarína Cangárová.

The aim of the SUNAJUST programme (Supporting National Judges on State Aid, i.e. a training programme for judges and prosecutors) is, with the support of the European Commission, to address the enforcement of EU state aid law by national courts. The aim of the SUNAJUST programme (Supporting National Judges on State Aid, i.e. a training programme for judges and prosecutors) is, with the support of the European Commission, to address the enforcement of EU state aid law by national courts. As part of its professional training, the programme helps judges to carry out their duties in such a way that they act consistently as European judges dealing with state aid.