On Monday, 26 June, the European Commission cleared a French aid project that has been put at €1.3 billion to support the construction of a high-speed rail link between Paris and the Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.
The initiative notified by France constitutes state aid in favour of a joint venture between SNCF Réseau and Aéoroports de Paris, which will be responsible for building and operating a 32 km-long railway line directly linking the Gare de l'Est with the Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. The line will be up and running in 2023.
The support of the French authorities will take the form of a tax-free grant to be funded from 2024 by all users of the Charles de Gaulle airport except transit passengers. A 'public guarantee'-type mechanism will also ensure that the concession-holder's loans are paid back.
The European Commission found that the planned measures would help to develop a more coordinated and sustainable transport system and were proportionate and necessary for the implementation of the project, without exceeding the project's funding deficit. The institution also considered that the competitive tendering procedure had been open, transparent and non-discriminatory.
It therefore concluded that the aid complies with EU rules on State aid and its priorities of supporting projects that promote growth, investments and job creation. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)