Brussels, 16/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 16 October, the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether marketing agreements concluded between public authorities and airlines using Girona-Costa Brava and Reus airports in Catalonia are in line with EU state aid rules. On the basis of the information at its disposal, the Commission says it “cannot exclude that the marketing agreements give the airlines and/or the airports involved an undue advantage vis-à-vis their competitors.”
In May 2012, the Commission received a complaint from an airline with operations at Barcelona-El Prat airport about marketing agreements related to Ryanair's operations at the nearby Girona and Reus airports. The complainant alleged that the agreements amounted to illegal state aid in favour of Ryanair. However, the Commission will investigate all airlines that have signed similar agreements with public authorities linked to Girona and Reus airports. Barcelona, Girona and Reus airports are all operated by Aena Aeropuertos S.A.
The agreements relate to the advertising of the regions concerned and contain various conditions related to the presence and scale of operations of the airlines at the two airports. During the investigation, the Commission will also verify whether Girona and Reus airports themselves may have benefitted indirectly from the marketing agreements, since the agreements might relieve the airports of costs that they would otherwise normally bear in developing their activities. (OL/transl.fl)