On Thursday 29 April, the European Commission authorised €2.5 million in compensation to the Slovenian Press Agency STA for the performance of its public service mission. This funding will help to provide independent information to the public, without unduly distorting competition in the single market.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for Competition Policy, said that “the preservation of an independent national press agency in a Member State ensures that news media can refer to a news stream which reports on national and international developments, from the perspective of that country”.
On 7 January 2021, Slovenia notified its intention to grant compensation to STA (€2.5 million) for the performance of its activities in informing the Slovenian public about national and international news in 2021.
Under EU rules, Member States may grant State Aid to companies to compensate them for the extra costs of a public service mission, subject to certain criteria, including the need to avoid overcompensation.
The Commission found that the operation of STA is in the real general interest of Slovenia to have an independent news agency based in the country, providing information in the national language and covering national and international news from a Slovenian perspective.
Consequently, STA performs a service of general economic interest, which it could not perform in its home market to the extent expected on the basis of its own resources and revenues.
The funding is limited to what is necessary for the fulfilment of STA’s public service tasks, which it must provide free of charge.
“Slovenia’s notification has not been withdrawn, so we have adopted a decision today. Slovenia can provide this assistance”, the Commission said at a press briefing. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)