The Relationship Between State Aid and Nuclear Energy and A Legal Analysis of Nuclear Energy State Aid Cases in Terms of European Union State Aid Rules

Year 2021, Volume: 79 Issue: 3, 1029 - 1065, 21.09.2021

Ahmet Sefa Dinleyici

Abstract

State aid to the nuclear energy sector has increased significantly within the last decade and in parallel to this increase, controversy about giving state aid to nuclear energy has soared. In addition to this controversy, the existence of a special treaty for nuclear energy, called the Euratom Treaty, exclusion of nuclear energy from the ‘Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy 2014-2020’ and very intrinsic risks and market failures related to the nuclear energy sector distinguish nuclear state aid cases from other energy state aid cases. Considering the scarcity of research dealing with increasing nuclear state aid cases in detail, this research intended to focus on the relationship between state aid and nuclear energy and analyse prominent nuclear state aid cases. During the research, prominent nuclear state aid cases which have shaped the case law and related legislations were analysed. It could be briefly concluded that nuclear state aid cases will likely continue to increase as energy markets become more competitive. But it is very clear that intrinsic risks of nuclear energy and related market failures stemming from imperfect market conditions are keenly appreciated by the European Commission and the European Courts, and nuclear cases are treated more leniently in line with these conditions. This sends a very clear message that the lenient approach of the Commission and the Courts toward the nuclear state aid cases will remain as long as market failures and the Euratom Treaty exist and in this regard, the absence of guidelines for nuclear energy, while it seems like a disadvantage, will ensure the needed flexibility of the Commission when making its state aid assessment in nuclear state aid cases.

Keywords

State Aid, Nuclear Energy, Euratom Treaty, European Commission, Competitionse

Devlet Yardımları ve Nükleer Enerji İlişkisi ve Avrupa Birliği Devlet Yardımı Kuralları Bakımından Nükleer Enerji Devlet Yardımı Davalarının Hukuksal İncelemesi

Abstract

Avrupa Birliği rekabet hukuku, diğer fonksiyonlarının yanında, “Ortak Pazar” oluşturmayı hedefler ve bu pazarda özel teşebbüsler yahut üye devletler eliyle oluşabilecek saptırmaları engellemeye çalışır. Devletlerin yapabileceği saptırmalar ise “Devlet Yardımı Kuralları” marifetiyle kontrol altına alınmaya çalışılır. Bu bakımdan Avrupa Birliği içerisinde geliştirilen devlet yardımları kontrol sistemi benzeri neredeyse olmayan ve gelişmiş bir sistemdir. Avrupa Komisyonu tarafından yayınlanan son devlet yardımı tablosuna göre üye devletlerin devlet yardımı harcamaları 2013 yılından bu yana artmaktadır. Devlet yardımı harcamaları arasında ise enerji sektörü en fazla yardım alanlar sektör konumundadır. Ancak devlet yardımı kuralları açısından nükleer enerjiye yapılan devlet yardımları diğer enerji kaynaklarına yapılan devlet yardımlarından farklılık arz etmekte ve çeşitli sebeplerden dolayı hususi inceleme gerektirmektedir. Literatürde bugüne değin bazı önemli nükleer enerji devlet yardımları tek tek ele alınmış yahut nükleer enerji konusu devlet yardımını konu alan önemli akademik çalışmalarda yeterince detaya inilmeden yalnızca bir alt bölüm olarak zikredilmiştir. Bu durum dikkate alınarak çalışmamızda nükleer enerji sektörü ve devlet yardımı ilişkisi ele alınarak ve nükleer enerji devlet yardımlarının içtihad hukukunda nasıl değerlendirildiği ve içtihad hukukunun müdahil taraflara berrak bir manzara arz edip etmediği incelenmiştir. Yapılan tüm incelemeler ışığında nükleer enerji sektörüne uygulanacak devlet yardımı kuralları konusunun büyük ölçüde yerleştiği görülmektedir. Bu kapsamda enerji piyasaları daha fazla rekabetçi hale geldikçe nükleer enerji devlet yardımı davalarının da artış gösterebileceği beklenebilir. Ancak Avrupa Komisyonu ve Mahkemeler, nükleer enerji özelinde oluşan riskleri ve buna bağlı olarak gelişen piyasa aksaklıklarını dikkate alarak nükleer devlet yardımı davalarını daha esnek olarak ele almaktadır. Nükleer enerjiye özgü riskler, piyasa aksaklıkları ve en temelde Euratom Anlaşması yürürlükte olduğu müddetçe bu esnek yaklaşımın devam edeceği açıkça görülmektedir. Bu konuda bir kılavuzun olmayışı ilk bakışta bir dezavantaj olarak görülse de, bu durum Avrupa Komisyonu’na gelecekte nükleer enerjiye yapılacak devlet yardımlarını incelerken gerekli esnekliği sağlamada en önemli faktör olmaya devam edecektir.

Keywords

Devlet Yardımı, Nükleer Enerji, Euratom Anlaşması, Avrupa Komisyonu, Rekabet

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