MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Early childhood care – assessing structural distortions of competition between private and public providers. – E-002624/2025

Question for written answer  E-002624/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Pascal Arimont (PPE)

In the early childhood care sector, structural distortions of competition can occur between private and public providers.

• 1.What is the Commission’s assessment of such distortions of competition, in particular when public providers benefit from State aid and private providers offering comparable childcare services are placed at a disadvantage?
• 2.What legally sound possibilities are available to Member States to financially support private early childhood care providers without violating European State aid and competition law rules?
• 3.What criteria are used to determine whether a childcare service, especially when co-financed with a mix of both public funding and parental contributions, is considered non-economic and thus exempt from EU competition law?

Submitted: 30.6.2025