Abstract

The new european policy approach to competition considers cultural activities as economic, thus considering public funding of such activities as State aid. This will give rise to unnecessary administrative work on the part of central and local government authorities, including small local authorities. Commission acknowledges that a number of measures taken by Member States may not constitute aid, for example because the activity is not economic or because trade between Member States is not affected. Nonetheless, Commission doesn't point out how to distinguish between what is aid and what is not. In order to simplify the administrative burden for small local authorities it's necessary to state parameters suitable to discern those two kinds of situation, thus granting that the european rules are respected.