Portrait of Simon Yarak

Simon Yarak Senior Consultant

Simon is a Senior Consultant in Oxera’s State Aid and Subsidy Control practice. He has advised clients across various sectors, including transport, health, energy, telecoms, sports, food and agriculture. His experience in state aid and subsidy control encompasses a wide range of issues, from compliance with the market economy operator principle (MEOP) to the compatibility of aid and compliance with UK subsidy control principles. He has advised clients at all stages of the life of a state aid measure—from the design of funding programmes and measures, to formal investigation and disputes before the courts. In addition to state aid and subsidy control, Simon also advises clients in competition and trade defence cases.

Simon is also an expert on economic and financial matters relating to the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), having published various articles and spoken at webinars and conferences on the topic.

Prior to joining Oxera, Simon earned a Master’s in Economics (MPhil) from the University of Oxford, focusing on microeconomics, public and behavioural economics.

Simon speaks English, French, and Dutch.

Tel: +32 (0) 2 895 90 80

Simon's specialisms include:

Selected
professional experience

  • Advice to industry participants on their response to the European Commission’s consultation on the revision of the Guidelines on state aid to airports and airlines (2024–)

  • Advice to a government on the compliance with the relevant subsidy control rules of a funding programmed designed to incentivise the roll-out of EV charging infrastructure (2024–)

  • Advice to the industrial development agency of an EU member state in the context of the design of state aid measures in favour of semiconductor manufacturers (under the EU Chips Act) (2023–)

  • Advice to a media company in the context of a complaint against state aid received by a competitor (2023)

  • Advice to a French regional authority in the context of the notification of investment aid to the European Commission. The aid to a port infrastructure owner aims to finance the renovation and modernisation of the port’s ferry terminal (2023–24)

  • Advice to a company in the pharma sector in the context of its complaint to the European Commission in relation to a >€1bn aid package provided by a member state to a large competitor (2022–23)

Selected
publications

  • Robins, N. and Yarak, S. (2024), ‘And now for something somewhat different: an economist’s take on selectivity’, EU Law Live’s Competition Corner’s Chillin’ Symposium, 19 June.

  • Couto, F. and Yarak, S. (2023), ‘Caught offside? The EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation and European football clubs’, Agenda, 11 October.

  • Lowe, P. and Yarak, S. (2023), ‘Closing the regulatory gap–answers (and new questions) from the Foreign Subsidies Regulation’, Competition Law & Policy Debate, 8:1, 25 August, pp. 22–29.

  • Couto F., Marengon, M., Robins, N. and Yarak, S. (2023), ‘Laying the tracks for the regulation of foreign subsidies: revisiting the acquisition of Vossloh Locomotives by CRRC’, Agenda, 30 June.

  • Bell, J., Eilts, E., Robins, N. and Yarak, S. (2021), ‘Are state aid damages claims around the corner ? An economist’s perspective’, Concurrences, 3/2021.

Qualifications

  • MPhil Economics, University of Oxford, UK

  • BA Economics and Management, University of Namur, Belgium

Latest Insights:  Simon Yarak

Agenda
23 minute read
Depiction of Caught offside? The EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation and European football clubs

Caught offside? The EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation and European football clubs

There have already been two well-publicised requests for the Commission to use its ex officio powers under the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), to investigate alleged distortive subsidies granted to…
Agenda
16 minute read
Depiction of Laying the tracks for the regulation of foreign subsidies: revisiting the acquisition of Vossloh Locomotives by CRRC

Laying the tracks for the regulation of foreign subsidies: revisiting the acquisition of Vossloh Locomotives by CRRC

The EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) becomes applicable this year. To assess its potential impact, we ask: what might have happened had the Regulation been applied to the acquisition of…

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