As described by conservative economist Friedrich von Hayek, it refers to «the observation that the data required for rational
economic (decision - making) are distributed among many
individual actors, and thus unavoidably exist outside the knowledge of a central authority.»
The Commission was faced with the difficulty of identifying the beneficiary undertakings of the STL regime in this case, as it acknowledged that it was in principle possible to identify 5 major categories of
actors: (i) the shipyards offering new built vessels or construction, repair and renovation services, (ii) leasing companies offering financing facilities, (iii) EIGs chartering out and selling vessels, (iv) the investors in those EIGs offering goods and services on a wide range of market (except if they are
individuals not exercising any
economic activity, in which case the Commission recognised that they were not covered by the Decision), and (v) shipping companies offering maritime transport services buying vessels to the EIGs through the STL system (recital 126).