Politiques d'attractivité des territoires et règles européennes de concurrence. Le cas des aides versées par les aéroports aux compagnies aériennes

The judicial decisions relative to public aids granted by regional airports to low cost companies highlight the issue of the compatibility between the European competition policy and the measures taken by the local governments in order to promote the attractiveness of their territory. The court decisions?analysis allows us to define the ability of a local government to incite companies to settle or to develop new lines. Such public aids must be considered both on the legality level and on the economic one. They could produce distortions not only between competing firms, but also between the different regional airports. Indeed, regional airport managers are compelled to guarantee the operating of general interest lines, a minimal use rate of airport infrastructure and are interested in promoting local economic development. Thus, they could be put in an economic dependence with regard to low cost companies. Such dependence could induce a fiscal competition process.