Brussels, 27/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 27 March, the European Commission announced that it has opened an in-depth investigation into public service compensation and free asset transfers in the Italian rail freight transport market. The investigation will examine whether the measures comply with EU state aid rules.
These measures benefit companies within the Ferrovie dello Stato group - the Italian railway incumbent - in particular its subsidiaries Trenitalia SpA and FS Logistica SpA. The Commission will assess allegations raised in two complaints concerning two distinct measures: the transfer of certain railway infrastructure assets free-of-charge between 2007 and 2011 from infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana SpA to the two freight transport companies Trenitalia and FS Logistica. Italy considers that these transactions fall within a reallocation of assets in the context of the railway group's reorganisation in the early 2000s. Italy has not yet submitted any evidence to demonstrate that they were decided at the time of the initial reorganisation. The second measure under investigation consists of compensations which Trenitalia has been receiving since 2000 for the discharge of public service obligations in the freight transport market. The Commission doubts that there is a need for public service obligations for freight transport in a substantial part of Italy. (EL)