State aid in the European Union is the name given to a subsidy or any other aid provided by a government that distorts competition. Under European Union competition law, the term has a legal meaning, being any measure that demonstrates any of the characteristics in Article 107 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in that if it distorts competition or the free market, it is classified by the European Union as illegal state aid.[1] Measures that fall within the definition of state aid are considered unlawful unless provided under an exemption or notified by the European Commission.[2] In 2019, the EU member states provided state aid corresponding to 0.81% of the bloc's GDP.[3]
con was invoked but never defined (see the help page).