Brussels, 12/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 12 January, the European Commission and Italy officially agreed the amount of subsidies that Agusta Westland must reimburse the Italian government from the state support received for two military helicopters - the A139 and the BA609 (still under development) - for which civil versions were also produced.
Given the similarities between the civil and military versions of the two helicopters, it was felt that the civil versions had also benefitted from state aid which is banned by EU rules, as it distorts competition in the internal market. The Commission, then, decided to apply - for the first time - Article 348 of the Treaty, which makes provision for examination of how national aid can be adjusted to European state aid rules. The agreement reached will remedy any unfair advantage Agusta Westland may have derived from the aid: the sums to be repaid will be on future deliveries of the civil versions of the A139 and BA609 and will be proportionate with sales of the aided helicopters. Of the aid received in 1998 for the A139 project (troop transport) Agusta Westland will have to reimburse an amount of up to €25 million to the Italian state. For the BA609 project (tilt-rotor helicopter) an amount, increasing over time, will be reimbursed for each helicopter sold over a maximum period of 20 years and up to the total amount of aid received by the company. (F.G./transl.rt)