Commissie stemt in met Italiaanse staatssteun aan opbouw regionale infrastructuur (en)

The European Commission today authorised part of the package of aid measures for the restructuring of road haulage and the development of combined transport notified by the Italian Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The objective of the scheme is to provide and modernise regional infrastructure and services, to improve the efficiency of goods transport activities and to develop combined transport. It also aims to reduce environmental pollution and to increase traffic safety. The scheme will be in force for three years with a budget of approximately € 1,5 million. The Commission has however decided to initiate an investigation⁽¹⁾ with respect to the notified start-up aid for the development of new rail and maritime services departing from or heading to Friuli-Venizia Giulia.

Beneficiaries will be entities of any EU Member State operating in the sector of goods transport with at least one operational establishment in the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Measures contained in the aid scheme include:

• the construction of parking and assistance areas for road haulage vehicles;

• the implementation and conversion of combined transport terminals;

• the construction of depots and provision of the required transhipment equipment;

• the installation and upgrading of new computer systems exclusively destined to acquire and operate new types of combined transport traffic,

• the acquisition of combined transport equipment such as new equipment to improve the safety of maritime transport in ports and vessels/road tractors with higher safety/environmental standards than those in force at a national or EU level.

The Commission has considered these measures to be compatible with the Treaty⁽²⁾. They are moreover in line with the objectives of the Commission's White Paper on Transport Policy⁽³⁾.

The Commission today decided to initiate an investigation⁽⁴⁾ into the notified start-up aid for the development of new rail and maritime services departing from or heading to Friuli-Venizia Giulia. At this stage, the Commission has reservations as to whether the implementing arrangements guarantee that the measures are both necessary and strictly proportionate to transfer freight from road to other environmentally friendly modes of transport. The scheme does not include, for example, a mechanism guaranteeing that competition is not distorted.

^{(1)the procedure laid down in Article 88 (2) of the EC Treaty}

^{(2)by virtue of Article 87 (3) (c) of the EC Treaty}

^{(3)European transport policy for 2010: time to decide. COM (2001) 370}

^{(4)the procedure laid down in Article 88 (2) of the EC Treaty}