The Commission 2009 Procedural Reform from a Private Party Perspective: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back?

I. Introduction State aid procedure under Article 108 TFEU1 and its implementing rules is essentially a “private affair” between the Commission and the Member State concerned. The current legislation gives a very limited procedural role to private parties, namely the beneficiary of the aid measure, its competitors and other interested individuals or organisations. 2 This legislation affects all private parties’ right to judicial review of State a