At the conclusion of the investigation launched at the end of 2011 on State aid granted to the companies of the former Tirrenia Group ( of 5 October 2011), the European Commission announced today that it has public service compensation equal to approximately €98 million granted from 1 January 2009 to 31 July 2012 the shipping company Caremar is EU State aid rules and is compensation of approximately €97 million granted to the same company under the public service contract concluded for the period from 16 July 2015 to 15 July 2015 July 2024 after the acquisition of Caremar by of the temporary association of companies SNAV/Rifim.

In particular, with regard to the management by the company of eight maritime routes in the Gulf of Naples since January 2009 to July 2012 and three routes in the Pontine archipelago from January 2009 to 31 May 2011, the EU Commission has accepted that The aid responded to a real public service need ensuring regular maritime connections throughout the year and did not result in overcompensation for Caremar, while the compensation granted for the operation of eight sea routes in the Gulf of Naples in the period between mid-July 2015 and mid-July 2024 and the tender procedure for the sale of Caremar at SNAV/Rifim meet both criteria to exclude the existence of State aid as regards the public service obligations and therefore do not constitute State aid. Among other things, it was considered that some tax exemptions granted to Caremar in the framework of the privatisation do not constitute State aid because neither Caremar nor SNAV/Rifim benefited from this.

With today's decision, the European Commission has completed the in-depth investigation into the companies of the former Tirrenia group and their respective buyers. In January 2014, the Commission the investigation into certain support measures in favour of Saremar has been concluded ( of 22 January 2014). In March 2020, it concluded its investigation into the support measures in favour of Tirrenia and its buyer CIN ( of 2 March 2020). In June 2021, it concluded its investigation into the support measures in favour of Tirrenia and its buyers Moby and SNS ( of 17 June 2021). Finally, in September 2021, it concluded the investigation on support measures for Laziomar and its purchaser CLN and terminated the investigation into the remaining measures in favour of Saremar ( of 30 September 2021).