Opinion of the Advocate General — ECLI:EU:C:2026:269
Date: 2026-03-26
Language of the case: Romanian

Request for a preliminary ruling from the Înalta Curte de Casație și Justiție (Romania) lodged on 4 February 2025 – Canal Sea Services SRL, Maritime Pilot SRL, Asociația Piloților Maritimi din România ‘Euxin Pilot’, Black Sea Pilots SRL, Asociația Piloților Maritimi ‘Trident’, Black Waters SA, Asociația Piloților Maritimi Independenți ‘Tomis’, RJ, NC, FR v Ministerul Transporturilor, Infrastructurii și Comunicațiilor, Compania Națională ‘Administrația Porturilor Maritime’ SA (Case C-117/25, Canal Sea Services and Others) Language of the case: Romanian Referring court Înalta Curte de Casație și Justiție Parties to the main proceedings Appellants: Canal Sea Services SRL, Maritime Pilot SRL, Asociația Piloților Maritimi din România ‘Euxin Pilot’, Black Sea Pilots SRL, Asociația Piloților Maritimi ‘Trident’, Black Waters SA, Asociația Piloților Maritimi Independenți ‘Tomis’, RJ, NC, FR Respondents: Ministerul Transporturilor, Infrastructurii și Comunicațiilor, Compania Națională ‘Administrația Porturilor Maritime’ SA Question referred On the basis of the interpretation of Article 107(1) [TFEU] and of Regulation [(EU) 2017/352 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 February 2017] establishing a framework for the provision of port services and common rules on the financial transparency of ports, 1 does a measure adopted by a Member State aimed at ensuring that compulsory port pilotage services are carried out exclusively by certain State bodies – even though such services were previously also provided by other private (non-State) undertakings – establish a legal monopoly in accordance with Union law, constituting a permitted form of derogation from the competitive market, or, on the contrary, does this constitute State aid incompatible with the internal market, such as to exclude competition on the market and for the market? ____________ 1 OJ 2017 L 57, p. 1.