Experience from the European Commission (2018-2023)

• Engaged in discussions with the participating Member States and provided advice on the design of large cross border integrated IPCEIs in the areas of Batteries, Hydrogen Technology, Hydrogen Industry and Microelectronics & Connectivity (often involving more than ten Member States and multiple companies).
• Managed the assessment of the Chapeau document of all the above mentioned IPCEIs in close cooperation with the Member State involved and other Commission services.
• Engaged in discussions with Member States and companies to refine the understanding of issues at stake and providing advice and assistance on the redesign of public measures, thereby ensuring their compliance with the State aid rules on IPCEIs or the CEEAG.
• Undertakook a complex legal and economic assessment of multiple company project portfolios participating in the above mentioned IPCEIs.
• Performed detailed and complex assessment of the innovative elements of the R&D carried out under the IPCEIs in close cooperation/coordination with other Commission services, such as RTD, JRC, DG ENVI, DG CLIMA, DG GROW and DG CNECT (e.g. assessing that R&D on the deployment of electrolysers or on the new generation of batteries or on digital computing, smart sensors and power semiconductors goes beyond the global state of the art).
• Actively contributed to decision-drafting, inter-service consultation, preparation of briefings and notes for the management and the Commissioner. I was the pen holder in the drafting of five IPCEI decisions.
• Advised Member States and companies and providing policy analysis on the European Chips Act and its differentiation from the IPCEI on Microelectronics and Connectivity, thereby contributing to the implementation of national programmes related to the digital transition.
• Advised Member States on the interpretation of the multiple legislative provisions of the IPCEI, the R&D&I framework, the CEEAG and the GBER, related to concepts of research and innovation, early adopter of innovative technology, energy efficiency, low/zero emission mobility, energy infrastructure, industry decarbonization, broadband deployment, national employment and training measures etc.
• Assessed Greek plans to support a CCS project for the refinery industry, under CEEAG.
• Performed complex legal and economic analysis and advice in the context of ensuring compliance of public maritime transport SGEI measures with the internal market rules and the EU legislation on State aid and public procurement. I was responsible for the decision-drafting, inter-service consultation, preparation of briefings and notes for the management and the Commissioner, as regards three cases (i.e. public service compensation and privatization of Toremar, Laziomar and Caremar).
• Managed, administered and coordinated from State aid perspective the Recovery and Resilience Plans of Greece, Lithuania and Slovenia. Provided legal and policy analysis, advice and assistance (internally to the management as well as directly to the Member States) on the proposed reform and investment initiatives of the RRP, which aim at ensuring economic resilience of Member States and more possibilities for recovery and national prosperity, by delivering on the objectives of (indicative examples):
  a. the green transition (e.g. sustainable power generation, storage systems to enhance renewable energy sources penetration, clean vehicles and charging infrastructure network, sustainable urban environment etc.)
  b. the digital transformation (e.g. transforming State information technology governance, digital radio, data infrastructure and services, 5G corridors, submarine fibre cables etc.)
  c. the health resilience (e.g. digitalization of processes, increase of R&D in life science industry, reduction of pharmaceutical expenses, artificial AI in healthcare provision etc.)
  d. the innovation and science (e.g. innovation fund for start-ups, development of environmental friendly technologies, promoting participation in R&D clusters, competitiveness of education etc.)
  e. the favourable business environment for job creation (e.g. digital transformation of labour systems, restructuring of public employment services, e-services to unemployed and companies etc.)
• Provided detailed legal assessment of national measures that facilitate aggressive tax planning by big multinationals. Furthermore, I contributed to decision-drafting, inter-service consultation, preparation of briefings and notes for the management and the Commissioner. As part of the Nike team, I contributed to the drafting of the opening of a formal investigation decision and the adoption of a market information tool decision. Furthermore, I contributed to the drafting of the opening of a formal investigation decision concerning Belgian Excess Profit.
• Kept close cooperation/coordination with DG TAXUD in order to ensure alignment of State aid enforcement with the broader policy agenda of the Commission as regards taxation (e.g. I contributed to the drafting of an internal note on the application of Article 116 TFEU, and actively participated in discussions with DG TAXUD).
• Contributed to the general rulings’ investigation over new tax rulings granted by Member States during the period 2014-2018 (I was responsible for the Greek and Cypriot files).
• Advised on issues related to national corporate tax systems (e.g. Malta ‘Single Malt’ tax scheme and Greek Law 89/1967 on the establishment in Greece of foreign subsidiaries providing certain activities to their parent companies), drawing the line between the exclusive competence of Member States in the design of these systems and the Commission’s duty to ensure compliance of those tax systems with the internal market rules.