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Three regional airports in Belgium, France, and Germany under investigation for state aid violations

By  |  March 21, 2012

The European Commission has opened in-depth investigations into arrangements between public authorities and airports in Belgium, France, and Germany, as well as agreements with the airports’ agreements with airlines, particularly Ryanair.

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    The Commission’s investigation of Charleroi Airport in Belgium concerns the EU General Court’s 2008 ruling that annulled the Commission’s 2004 decision finding illegal state aid for Ryannair and ordering reimbursement. The Commission is also looking into whether there was other state aid that was not covered by its original probe.

    As concerns Angoulême in France, the Commission is concerned that subsidies received by the airport between 2002 and 2012 violates EU state aid rules. The Commission will also examine rebate and marketing arrangements between Angoulême and Ryanair in 2008.

    Dortmund, the German airport, will be investigated for public guarantees and a 2009 scheme of charges applied to the airlines.

    Full content: EC Press Release

     

    Related content: Final Descent? The Future of Antitrust Immunity in International Aviation (Benjamin Bradshaw & Bimal Patel, O’Melveny & Myers)