Brussels, 16/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes vowed on Tuesday 16 September to take a stance as soon as possible on whether restructuring plans for the privatisation of Polish shipyards are in line with EU law. “My people and I are aware that the uncertainty has taken too long in this case”, she said. If the Commission gives a negative response, the shipyards of Gdansk, Gdynia and Szczecin could find themselves under an obligation to reimburse over €2.3 billion to the Polish treasury, which would amount to their death toll. The latest version of the plans was submitted to the Commission last Friday, and includes an element of private investment that is clearly higher than in previous versions (see EUROPE 9740). Polish reticence to reduce the capacity of shipyards can be explained by their cultural and economic importance. Fifteen thousand employees are directly employed, and the number of jobs that depend on them indirectly is estimated at 45 000. Also, the Gdansk shipyard is the place where Solidarnosc, the trade union movement, was born. The Commissioner, who was speaking to the pres after a meeting with Polish worker representatives, did not say in which direction the Commission's decision would go.. She nonetheless recalled the case of the German and Spanish yards, which were forced to considerably reduce their capacities in order to come into line with EU law on State aid. (C.D./transl.jl)