Brussels, 15/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission confirmed on Monday 15 September that it had received a restructuring plan for the Szczecin shipyard and a joint restructuring plan for the Gdynia and Gdansk shipyards. The plans, which were received last Friday, are designed to appease Commission fears concerning the compatibility of state aid granted to the shipyards since Poland's accession to the EU in 2004 (EUROPE n° 9692).
“We hope that we have demonstrated the need to preserve an element of state aid” to convince investors, said Maciej Wewiór, a spokesperson for the Polish budget ministry. The Commission was particularly concerned about the state's desire to maintain a large portion of the business capital. The investors insisted on continued state participation in the shipyards. The Commission will now examine the plans to ensure their conformity with European regulations. The plans must now: - lead to the long-term viability of the undertakings; include an element of private, real financing under “normal” market conditions; only involve a minimum of state contributions.
Gdansk and Gdynia will be entirely taken over by ISD, a Polish subsidiary of the Ukrainian consortium Donbas, Mr Wewiór said, for €320 million. The undertaking will receive around €240 million in state aid, around €100 million of this in non-refundable aid, €60 million in refundable aid (without interest) and €80 million in “conditional” aid, which will be paid if certain criteria are fulfilled. The Szczecin shipyard will be bought by the companies Mostostal (Poland) and Ulstein (Norway) for around €70 million. (C.D./transl.fl)