In 2013, Slovakia had granted NAJPI €4.99 million in regional aid to support its investment in a glass sand extraction site in the Slovak region of Trnavský kraj, Západné Slovensko.
On 20 July 2017, the Commission adopted a decision in which it concluded that the Slovak aid measure fulfilled the criteria laid down in the General Block Exemption Regulation (‘GBER'). A competitor lodged an action for annulment of the Decision at the General Court who found in a judgement rendered on 9 September 2020 (Kerkosand) that the evidence provided by the complainant relating to the links between NAJPI and another company was capable of giving rise to doubts on the part of the Commission, as to NAJPI's characterisation as a small and medium-sized enterprise (‘SME') and annulled the decision.
Following this judgement, the Commission has opened an in-depth investigation in order to further assess the aid to NAJPI and in particular whether, at the time of granting of aid, NAJPI could be qualified as an SME and the conditions laid down in the GBER, in particular, concerning economic difficulties were fulfilled.
For more information see PR