23/11/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 23 November, the European Commission considered that compensation reductions due to the port of Antwerp, owned by the Belgian State, by two container terminal operators did not constitute a state grant. These compensations are part of concession agreements for the provision services related to transhipment of containers. As the operators did not fulfil their obligations between 2009 and 2012, they had to pay compensation to the port of Antwerp. The port authority then considerably reduced these compensations. Following a complaint, the Commission conducted an investigation to determine whether this measure was in line with EU state aid rules. It considered that the port authority had acted as a private economic operator would have done and concluded that there was no state grant in this case. (LT)