Brussels, 28/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 27 June, the European Commission decided to extend the scope of an in-depth investigation, opened in 2007 (see EUROPE 9501), concerning the Italian regional airport Alghero, to investigate whether additional support measures are in line with EU state aid rules.
Alghero is a regional airport in Sardinia managed by the publicly held company SOGEAAL. In 2007, the Commission started an in-depth investigation to check the conformity with EU state aid rules of a capital increase granted to SOGEAAL and of contracts between the operator and airlines for the use of the airport infrastructure and the provision of marketing services.
The decision taken on Wednesday is based on new information gathered during the investigation. It extends the investigation period and broadens its scope to cover infrastructure subsidies by the state, further support to the airport operator in form of the repayment of losses and increases of capital and additional contracts concluded with the airlines operating at the airport.
The Commission has doubts that these measures have been granted on market terms or that they could be authorised under the EU guidelines on state aid in the aviation sector. In particular, the Commission will verify whether the infrastructure subsidies were necessary to carry out the investments and were proportionate to the objective pursued. Moreover, some contracts between the airport and the air carriers might not have been concluded on market terms. This could give the beneficiaries an undue economic advantage over their competitors, who have to operate without state support. (OL/transl.fl)