3.6 Granting State aid to a group

In most instances, banks that are beneficiaries of State aid are not standalone entities, but form part of a group, including entities in multiple Member States. Questions may arise as to the appropriate level on which to award State aid (e.g. at the holding level or at the level of bank subsidiaries) and cooperation between Member States (e.g. in relation to the respective shares in the support or the impact of restructuring measures). The State aid regime for the banking sector does not contain specific provisions in relation to the assessment of State aid awards to groups. The EU Courts, however, dealt with some questions in this respect. In addition, the Commission decisions contain some guidance as to how the Commission deals with the assessment of State aid awards to groups.