Brussels, 18/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission gave France permission to pay aid of nearly 3.3 million EUR to SNCM (Société National Corse Méditerranée). This will be the second instalment of restructuring aid to SNCM which provides shipping services between Marseilles and Corsica and France and Italy and North Africa. The Commission authorised this plan on 9 July 2003, but under strict conditions, because the company suffers due to competition between Corsica and the French and Italian coasts for passenger transport (see EUROPE of 10 July 2003). The first instalment of 66 million EUR has already been paid to SNCM.