Brussels, 11/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - The Polish treasury minister will be in Brussels at the end of the week to explain the latest developments in the shipbuilding affair to the Commission. The latter believes that shipbuilding yards have benefited from illegal state aid. The Polish authorities are convinced of the potential profitability of the Gdynia and Szczecin yards but the Commission has requested more information before the end of the month.
Jonathan Todd, the spokesman for Competition Commissioner, Neelie Kroes, confirmed to the press on Tuesday that the minister, Aleksander Grad, would be in Brussels on Friday. During the meeting scheduled with the commissioner at 2.00pm, Mr Grad is seeking to provide answers requested by the Commission. His spokesman, Maciej Wewiór, optimistically declared that “there is a market for shipbuilding” and then explained that six “letters of intent” had been submitted by potential buyers of the Szeczecin shipyard and 8 for the one at Gdynia. Potential third country and European investors include the Polish companies Maritim Shipyard (for Gdynia) and Mostostal Chojnice (for Szczecin). Details about the offers are confidential but include concrete information about funding, as well as restructuring conditions demanded by the Commission, explained Mr Wewiór. He refused, however, to comment on these conditions but we can suppose that they will be the main subject discussed on Friday. It is these conditions in the sales contract of the third Gdansk yard to the Ukrainian investor, Donbass, which provoked the Commission's wrath (EUROPE 9473). The Gdynia and Szczecin dossiers require Warsaw to convince the Commission of the viability of the yard resale projects and the validity of the restructuring projects (to reduce these yards' production capacity). If Poland does not succeed before the end of the month, it may have fines imposed on it for the state aid above €1bn. (EUROPE 9671). (C.D./transl.rh)