The Spanish antitrust authority CNMC has authorized the Italian shipowning group Grimaldi to acquire the management of the Barcelona Ferry Terminal (TFB) at Muelle de San Bertrán del port of Barcelona, but on condition that it respects a series of Commitments to safeguard competition at the port of call Catalan. The green light from the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia came after an investigation in-depth examination that examined both terminal management passengers and rolling stock between Barcelona and the Balearic Islands.

With the ok of the antitrust, the Neapolitan group will support the management of the TFB terminal, obtained under an agreement for take over activities of the Spanish Naviera Armas Trasmediterránea ( of 13 April 2021), to that of the adjacent Grimaldi Terminal Barcelona at Muelle Costa that Grimaldi has been operating since mid-2013 (inforMARE of 2 July 2013). These are the only two ferry terminals in the Catalan airport.

The authorization of the CNMC requires the commitment by Grimaldi to renounce part of its current concession returning it to the Port Authority of Barcelona, area on to which a new maritime station could be built. The commitment that was proposed by the Italian group after In a first phase, the Antitrust Authority had considered the commitments previously proposed by Grimaldi which are insufficient to solve competition problems.

Among the other commitments undertaken by Grimaldi is that of maintain commercial conditions for shipping companies third parties to whom TFB currently provides port services up to the actual entry of a third party into the area to be disposed of, or up to five years from the resolution of the CNMC without such entry has taken place.