Brussels, 12/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - Following a complaint, the European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation to examine the compatibility with EU state aid rules of subsidies awarded since 1994 to undertakings providing public transport services in Île-de-France. According to France, the subsidies awarded between 1994 and 2008 to 235 beneficiaries totalled €263 million. The Commission will check whether the beneficiaries had additional costs linked to a public service obligation and if so, whether there was over-compensation for the provision of these services. The opening of an in-depth investigation gives interested parties the possibility to comment on the proposed measure. It does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. So far, the French authorities have not informed the Commission (a) which public service obligation justified payment of this compensation, (b) which pre-established objective parameters were used to calculate it, or (c) how it was possible to avoid over-compensating the beneficiaries, given the flat-rate nature of the compensation. (EL)