WRITTEN QUESTION P-0844/04 by Ulpu Iivari (PSE) to the Commission. Aid to shipbuilding in breach of EU legislation.
Date: 2004-03-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, State aid, control of State aid, restriction on competition, shipbuilding

C 84 E/894

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

granted by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region on 5 December 2003 by deliberation No 3949 to a
preliminary project represents a ‘development consent’ in the sense of the Directive. Therefore, it may be
presumed that the procedure has not yet been concluded.

As regards Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of
wild fauna and flora (2), analogous considerations apply: to the extent that development consent to the
project has not yet been issued, it is not possible to identify, at this stage, a violation of the provisions of
this Directive.

Furthermore, the fact that negative opinions have been expressed by consulted stakeholders in relation to
the preliminary high-speed train project Venezia-Trieste, section Ronchi-Trieste, is not, per se, an element
contrary to Directive 85/337/EEC nor an obstacle for granting development consent, provided that the
requirements laid down in this Directive are complied with. The information provided by the Honourable
Member is not sufficient to deduce, in this specific case, that any of the requirements imposed by the
above mentioned Directives have not been complied with. The Commission remains, however, open to
consider any possible further information provided by the Honourable Member on this specific case.

(1) Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private

projects on the environment as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997.

(2) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2004/C 84 E/0987)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0844/04

by Ulpu Iivari (PSE) to the Commission

(9 March 2004)

Subject: Aid to shipbuilding in breach of EU legislation

In recent months Finnish shipyards have lost out in several competitive bidding procedures to the Italian
state-owned company Fincantieri, which has been able to offer customers markedly lower prices than its
rivals. According to various avowed expert opinions,
Italy is probably paying state aid to shipping
companies that have their vessels built and registered in Italy.

Overseeing the internal market is one of the Commission’s prime tasks. What steps will the Commission
take to ensure that EU competition legislation is observed in the shipbuilding sector?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(2 April 2004)

The Commission’s state aid department
assessment of notified state aid cases and schemes,
investigations on its own initiatives.

is actively following the shipbuilding sector,

through the
investigations linked to complaints and through

The Commission is not aware of state aid to shipping companies that have their vessels built in Italy, with
the exception of a type of aid that has been authorised by the Commission and which could, in principle,
be provided by all Member States. This concerns contract related aid (1) for ships contracted until the end
of 2000 and delivered before the end of 2003.

The Commission has currently one proceeding according to Article 88(3) of
the EC Treaty open
concerning state aid to Italian shipbuilding (2). This concerns a guarantee scheme to shipbuilding, but to
the knowledge of the Commission no guarantees have yet been provided based on this scheme.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 1540/98 of 29 June 1998 establishing new rules on aid to shipbuilding, OJ L 202,

18.7.1998.

(2) OJ C 145, 21.6.2003.