The 2009 Broadcasting Communication and the Commission’s Decisional Practice Two Years after its Entry into Force

The Article gives an overview of the Commission’s policy concerning State aid to public service broadcasting, as outlined in the 2009 Broadcasting Communication, the changes it brought in relation to the 2001 Broadcasting Communication, and its differences with the 2005 package on the Commission’s general policy on support for services of general economic interest (SGEI). In this context it argues that public service broadcasting has special features which justify a different treatment from other public services. Secondly, it describes the main Commission decisions adopted so far and relevant Court judgments. The majority of the decisions focus on the question under what conditions the p...