Brussels, 09/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 9 July, the European Commission announced that it is opening an in-depth investigation to verify whether exemptions from corporate tax granted under Dutch law to public companies, including port operators, are in line with EU state aid rules.
EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said: “Fair competition is crucial for all market players. The Commission therefore needs to verify that public companies, including port operators, in the Netherlands are not given more favourable tax treatment than their private competitors. Furthermore, there should be a level-playing field between ports in the EU, so it is important to make sure that state aid rules are being complied with in all Member States”.
In 2013, under the existing state aid assessment procedures, the Commission asked the Netherlands to abolish tax provisions exempting certain public companies from the obligation to pay corporate tax, exemptions dating back to 1956, before the Netherlands joined the EU.
Under government plans, some of the exemptions would remain in place, such as for the ports of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Zeeland, Groningen and Moerdijk. The Commission therefore decided to carry out an investigation because the Netherlands has not fully accepted the measures suggested by the Commission to comply with EU state aid rules. Separately, the Commission is also gathering information on taxation of ports in other member states. The Commission has informed France and Belgium of its concerns regarding the taxation of ports in these countries and has asked Germany to provide further information to ensure that there are no undue competitive advantages being granted to ports. (EL)