Global Trade Alert

On 27 March 2014, theEuropean Commission allowed the Italian authorities to provide the portof Salerno in the region of Campania with an investment aid worth EUR 71million.
 
According to a statement bythe EC, the beneficiary port "together with neighbouring portsparticipates in the logistic network of the Campania region and plays afundamental role in the industrial and commercial system of that region, performing general cargo, container, Ro-Ro and cruisetraffic" (para. 3, letter from the EC to Italy, Brussels 27.3.2014).
 
The aid will be used toexpand the port entry (EUR 20 million), stabilise the existing dock (EUR32.1 million) and dredge the port's seabed (EUR 20.9 million). The rest of the necessary financing (EUR 1.98 million) will be obtained by the Port Authority through a loan.
 
The Commission also statedthat "according to the Italian authorities the planned project shall notinfluence the level of cruise ship and passenger traffic as the currentinfrastructures already guarantee safe operation of cruise vessels. The improved infrastructures will therefore mainlyimprove the PAS capacity to attract large container vessels and willtherefore increase, at least potentially, competition for containertransport with neighbouring/other ports in EU and in particular in the Mediterranean sea. Therefore the measure is capableof affecting competition and trade between Member States." (para. 44)
 
A state measure in the GTAdatabase is assessed solely in terms of the extent to which itsimplementation affects the extent of discrimination against foreigncommercial interests. On this metric, the state aid proposed here is discriminatory.