The European Commission has launched an investigation to determine whether State subsidies for the provision of transport services to Corsica with public service obligations granted to the French shipping companies Corsica Linea and La between 2023 and 2030 comply with the on state aid. At the end of 2022, France awarded to the two companies five contracts for the provision of maritime transport of passengers and goods between Marseille and five Corsican ports (Ajaccio, Bastia, Propriano, L'Île-Rousse and Porto Old) for the period 2023-2030. France notified the EU Commission to grant compensation of €853.6 million to Corsica Linea and La Méridionale for the supply of these services.

Announcing that we need more information to determine whether the public compensation paid to Corsica Linea is The Méridionale complies with EU rules on aid to State, and in particular the regulation of services of interest 2012, the Commission announced today the decision to open an in-depth investigation to assess, in particular, in particular, whether the inclusion in contracts of the carriage of goods made with heavy goods vehicles and their drivers is justified a public service requirement, taking into account the presence on the market of an alternative commercial offer made with departures and arrivals from a nearby port, and to assess whether the volume of freight traffic to be transported under the contracts does not exceed the public service needs defined by the authorities French. In addition, the investigation is aimed at ascertaining whether it is It is possible to conclude that the contracts comply with the on public procurement.