Commission approves French state aid of around €102 million for the port of Saint-Malo

The European Commission has approved under EU state aid rules French state aid of around €102 million to modernize the Naye terminal in the Port of Saint-Malo.

The measure aims to support the optimization of the management of areas dedicated to the transport of goods and passengers at the Naye terminal, in order to respond to the growth of maritime trade in Europe. The project involves (i) replacing obsolete infrastructure with infrastructure capable of accommodating new larger ferries and (ii) improving roads and access to the terminal. The beneficiary is the Brittany Region, which owns the Port of Saint-Malo.

The aid will take the form of a direct grant of around €102m and the total investment costs amount to almost €118m.

The Commission assessed the measure under EU state aid rules, in particular Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which allows member states to support the development of certain economic activities under certain conditions. The Commission found that the measure is necessary and appropriate to promote common transport and environmental objectives, and that it has an "incentive effect" since in the absence of public support the beneficiary would not undertake the investment. Furthermore, the Commission found that the aid is proportionate, as it is limited to the minimum necessary, and that it would have a limited impact on competition and trade between member states. On this basis, the Commission has approved the French measure under EU state aid rules.

The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number SA.111060 in the state aid register on the Commission's competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved.

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