7.1 Introduction

The main focus of this PhD-study is on the compatibility-assessment (i.e. the assessment of whether the State aid is compatible with the internal market).1 As a corollary, this PhD-study treats the steps that precede this compatibility- assessment as preliminary steps.2 There are essentially two preliminary steps; and these will be discussed in Part I and Part II of the current chapter. The first preliminary step is the question whether the aid measures constitute State aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU. The second preliminary step is the question on which legal basis the compatibility of the State aid has to be assessed.