Promoting the production of electricity from renewable sources in the context of european union state aid rules

Varstvo okolja sodi med najbolj aktualne problemske sklope, kar je opazno tudi na pravnem področju, kjer se okoljska vprašanja odpirajo v okviru različnih pravnih panog. V tej magistrski nalogi je poudarek na spodbujanju proizvodnje električne energije iz obnovljivih virov v kontekstu pravil Evropske unije o državnih pomočeh. Pravila EU o državnih pomočeh, ki jih najdemo v Pogodbi o delovanju Evropske unije (PDEU), so praktično enaka tistim, ki so bila del Pogodbe o ustanovitvi Evropske gospodarske skupnosti, vendar to ne pomeni, da na tem področju ni bilo sprememb. Upoštevati je namreč treba relativno odprtost določb Pogodb, ki omogočajo različne razlage, prav tako pa tudi zakonodajne in druge akte Evropske unije. Ker je varstvo okolja in s tem povezano obvladovanje izpustov toplogrednih plinov sčasoma pridobilo na pomenu in so bila v ta namen sprejeta številna pravila, nazadnje t. i. četrti energetski sveženj Čista energija za vse Evropejce, se je to odrazilo tudi na razlagi in uporabi pravil o državnih pomočeh. V tej magistrski nalogi so predstavljeni nekateri vidiki prepletanja pravil EU o energetiki, varstvu okolja in državnih pomočeh. Glede na prej omenjeno dinamiko na obravnavanih področjih je v ospredju vprašanje predvidljivosti veljavnega pravnega okvira. Najprej so na kratko predstavljeni glavni razvojni mejniki, nato pa sledi predstavitev sedaj veljavnega okvira, ki ureja spodbujanje proizvodnje energije iz obnovljivih virov in meje spodbud. V zvezi s slednjim je poudarek na omejitvah, ki jih določajo pravila EU o državnih pomočeh, pri tem pa je poudarek na vprašanju obstoja državne pomoči v smislu člena 107(1). PDEU ter na vprašanju pogojev za izjemno združljivost državne pomoči z notranjim trgom. V ta namen so obravnavani relevantni predpisi, sodna praksa in mehko pravo ter pravna teorija.Environmental protection is currently one of the most interesting problematic areas, which is also evident in the legal field, where environmental issues are raised within different legal sectors. This Master\u27s thesis focuses on promoting the production of electricity from renewable sources in the context of European Union State aid rules. The EU state aid rules found in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) are practically the same as those which were part of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, but that does not mean that there have been no changes in this area. It is necessary to take into account the relative openness of the provisions of the Treaties, which allow for different interpretations, as well as large variaton of legislative and other acts of the European Union. As environmental protection and the related management of greenhouse gas emissions have gained importance over time and many rules have been adopted for the topic of promoting the production of electricity from renewable sources. Most recently the fourth energy package with its name, Clean energy for all Europeans, this energy package was also reflected in the interpretation and application of state aid rules. This master\u27s thesis presents some aspects of the interplay of EU rules on energy, environmental protection and state aid. Given the aforementioned dynamics in the areas under consideration, the question of the predictability of the applicable legal framework is crucial. Firstly in this Master\u27s, the main development milestones are briefly presented, followed by the introduction of the current framework governing the promotion of renewable energy production and the incentive frontier. With regard to the latter, the emphasis is on the limitations imposed by EU state aid rules, also the emphasis is on the question of the existence of State aid within the meaning of Article 107 (1). TFEU and on the question of the conditions for the exceptional compatibility of State aid with the internal market. Also, relevant regulations, case law and soft law, as well as legal theory are discussed