Brussels, 27/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission should examine Sabena's re-capitalisation plan approved last Friday by the Belgian authorities, in order to check whether it is State aid or not, confirmed on Tuesday the spokesperson for the Transport Commissioner Mrs de Palacio.
Four airlines (Lufthansa, SAS, KLM, and British Airways) have announced their intention to put forward a complaint with the Commission. For the time being, the European executive has received nothing; on the other hand; we have asked the Belgian authorities to notify this plan, indicated the spokesperson.
The re-capitalisation and restructuring plan of the airline foresees among others an immediate increase in its equity of EUR 250 million, provided to the value of EUR 150 million by the buyer of Sabena, the Swiss airline Swissair, and of EUR 100 million by the Belgian State. Swissair presently owns 49.5% of the Sabena capital, percentage that will be increased to 85%, after the entry into force of the EU/Swiss bilateral agreements.
The Commission had already examined in the past the case of Sabena, recalls the spokesperson: in 1991, it had authorised a State aid on condition, among others, that it be the last. In 1995 it felt that the entry of Swissair into the capital of Sabena did not include elements of State aid. These services must now check whether the Belgian State behaved as a private investor.