Single sentence summary: Statements made by the French government, aimed at assuring France Télécom of its support at a time when the operator was experiencing a major crisis, do not constitute State aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of The European Union (TFEU).
The France Télécom judgment demonstrates that inventive governments may favour their national industries with government measures that fall outside the scope of Article 107(1) TFEU. The situation at hand is a direct result of the policy choice made by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Sloman Neptun, that government measures must result in a transfer of State resources in order to qualify as aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) EC.