State aid: Commission approves €297 million Swedish scheme to support organisers of events affected by the coronavirus outbreak

The European Commission has approved a €297 million (SEK 3 billion) Swedish scheme to support organisers of events in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved under the State Aid Temporary Framework. The aim of the scheme is to compensate them for the costs of organising events, scheduled to take place between 1 June and 31 December 2021, should they be cancelled or significantly restricted as a result of restrictive measures implemented by the Swedish government to limit the spread of the virus. The measure is open to organisers of events active in Sweden. The aid will take the form of direct grants for up to 70% of the actual net costs of the cancelled events, that is the costs minus any event-related revenue and any amount obtained from insurance, litigation, arbitration or any other source. The Commission found that the scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. In particular, the aid (i) will not exceed €1.8 million per beneficiary; and (ii) will be granted no later than 31 December 2021. The Commission concluded that the measure is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State, in line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the measure under EU State aid rules. More information on the actions taken by the Commission to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic can be found here. The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number SA.63116 in the State aid register on the Commission’s competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved.