Luxembourg, 28/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - The company Navigazione Libera del Golfo has taken action against the European Commission before the EU's Court of First Instance accusing it of not publishing figures relating to extra costs incurred by its rival, the company Caremar, operating on the Naples Beverello-Capri line. NLG would like to know the extent of these additional costs incurred by Caremar's operation on the Naples Beverello-Capri maritime line carried out under public service obligations and the annual payments made for that service by the Region of Campania. Such aid was authorised by the Commission. NLG asserts that it has always operated passenger transport services on the same line and that it also carries out its public service obligations without receiving the slightest subsidy to meet additional costs incurred by such obligations.
NLG has initiated two court actions against the Commission on two different legal bases. It considers that the Commission has committed a serious error of law by not complying with its own provisions, as set out in its communication of 1 December 2003, on the professional secret in State aid decisions.
In March 2004, the European Commission had authorised Italy to grant aid to five companies of the Tirrenia group, including Caremar. It considered that these companies fulfilled their public service obligations for which public payments were authorised (see EUROPE 8668).