WRITTEN QUESTION E-3517/01 by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Italian State aid to shipping.
Date: 2002-01-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU law, Italy, State aid, maritime transport, restriction on competition, sectoral aid, shipbuilding

4.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 160 E/129

The Commission also intends to develop tobacco fund conversion measures in combination with the quota
buyback programme, thereby creating powerful synergies between the two.

Further new proposals on the sector will be preceded by a study evaluating the common organisation of
the market. The Commission intends to proceed in a resolute but gradual manner so as to safeguard the
production regions’ economic and social vitality.

(2002/C 160 E/164)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3515/01

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE)
and Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Exclusion of official languages from the LIFE programme

According to an article published in English on 16 November 2001 on the internet website
www.medeuropa.net and in Spanish on 8 November 2001 at www.aquieuropa.com, the Commission
requires anyone wishing to submit proposals under the Community’s LIFE programme to communicate
with it henceforth in writing in English and French only. This policy is totally contrary to the rules
applying hitherto under which the 11 official languages of the Union were used for communication within
the LIFE programme and the other Community initiatives.

Is there a requirement that only two of these languages should be used for LIFE and, if so, why? To what
extent is this requirement consistent with the provisions of the EC Treaty concerning the parity of all its
official languages (Articles 290 and 314) and with the constant references to the multicultural nature of the
Union?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(14 February 2002)

The Commission does not require that those wishing to submit proposals under the Community’s LIFE
programme do so only in English or French.

All the information concerning the submission of proposals under the Community’s LIFE programme is
available in the 11 official
languages at the following Internet address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/life/
life3.htm.

(2002/C 160 E/165)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3517/01

by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Italian State aid to shipping

The Member States take financial and fiscal measures to support their national fleets. In 1997, the
Commission issued guidelines for judging the compatibility of national aid schemes for shipping with
Community law. The aim of the guidelines is to achieve convergence in the Member States’ policies and to
avoid distortion of competition within the Community.

C 160 E/130

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.7.2002

Is the Commission aware of reports in the Italian press that the Grimaldi shipping company in Italy
1.
received State aid in 1996 of USD 19 million, in 1997 USD 45m and in 1998 USD 32m? Is that aid, in
addition to all other aid, to be considered as consistent with the guidelines? Is the Commission also aware
that during the same period the Grimaldi company built five ro-ro vessels and two car/passenger ferries as
well as refitting and repairing five more of the latter vessels?

2.
Can the Commission provide detailed figures of all State aid received by Grimaldi from 1996
onwards? For what specific purpose was each instalment of aid approved by the Italian authorities and the
Commission, and on what criteria were they based?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(15 February 2002)

1.
The Commission has approved (by letter to Italy of 13.5.1998 No SG (98) D/3776) the ‘Aid to
shipping companies = Italian Second Register’ case No 350/97. This scheme provides for a 100 %
reimbursement of seafarers’ income tax and social charges and a partial reduction in corporate tax paid by
shipping companies on profits derived from vessels entered in the international register (Second Register).
The scheme is open ended in time and therefore still applied. The Commission may however consider
adaptations to the scheme in case necessary.

Further, by letter to Italy of 18.8.1999 (No SG(99) D/6875), the Commission approved aid for the
reduction of social costs as regards EC seafarers employed on ships of maritime transport companies flying
the Italian flag and carrying out cabotage services in Italy (case No N 396/99).

Training aid measures (case No NN 75/96) were approved in 1996.

Regional aid to Sardinia was declared not compatible with the EC Treaty by the Commission subject to a
first negative decision (case No C 23/96) and a second negative decision (case No C 71/97).

Earlier schemes (Italian laws dating back to 1993) providing i.a. for investment facilities need to have been
adapted to the guidelines adopted in 1989 and 1997 (Community guidelines on State aid to maritime
transport (1) respectively, as requested by the Commission through the means of
its proposal on
appropriate measures.

The Commission is not aware of any other aid scheme for the maritime sector in Italy over the period
1998-1999 or of any individual aid granted to the Grimaldi shipping company as mentioned by the
Honourable Member. During that period no Community aid under PACT had been granted to that
company either.

In case the Commission is notified of a State aid scheme, it takes its decision after having examined
2.
the scheme as such, which usually includes a certain number of criteria, which the Member State
concerned needs to respect when paying out aid to individual companies. Should there be however any
abusive application of a State aid scheme authorised, the Commission may examine on a case by case basis
the aid granted to individual companies also under a scheme. As this is fortunately not the normal
procedure, the Commission is not necessarily informed about the amounts granted to an individual
company under an approved scheme.

(1) OJ C 205, 5.7.1997, p.5.