Brussels, 20/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - In a press release on Friday 20 July, the Commission said it was satisfied with some of the information provided by Poland with regard to state aid for shipyards, but noted that some further information was required. In particular, the Commission decided to issue an information injunction that requires Poland to submit, within one month, information on planned capacity reductions in the Gdansk shipyard.
Jonathan Todd, the spokesman of the competition commissioner, said that “for over two years, the Commission has shown a great deal of flexibility to cooperate”. However, if the required information is not received by 21 August or if it is not satisfactory, the Commission, he emphasised, will consider a negative decision on the state subsidies received by the yard since Poland's accession to the EU in May 2004, which could require the aid to be reimbursed.
Poland notified the Commission of state aid for three shipyards, Szczecin, Gdynia and Gdansk. For each shipyard, as for all aid in this sector, information on two areas has to be analysed by the Commission: on the one hand, capacity reduction, and, on the other, the long-term financial viability free of further state support. Only information on Szczecin and Gdynia was provided, and only with regard to reduction of capacity (in Szczecin, one of the three construction slipways will be closed, and, in Gdynia, two docks). Before the Commission can approve the €1.3 billion in state aid for the three yards, it will have to receive: details on the capacity reduction in Gdansk, which Mr Todd said would have to mean the closure of two construction slipways, and which is the subject of today's injunction; and also information on the long-term viability of the three yards, also to be provided by 21 August. Despite the firmness of the Commission's tone, Mr Todd remains optimistic: “We sincerely hope that there will still be a positive outcome regarding all three shipyards”. (cd)