Listening response
DK consultation on state aid - Block Exemption (GBER)
Danish Ports has read with interest the European Commission's draft amendment to the Block Exemption Regulation with a common interpretation of when state aid in connection with ports is exempt from the general state aid rules. The proposal is of interest because commercial ports are an important part of Denmark's overall infrastructure, and with the right form and clarity, the proposal can curb the Danish authorities' overcautiousness when it comes to state aid for infrastructure investments. Danske Havne believes that the exact content of the proposal should be further investigated to ensure sensible implementation and consistency with practice:
- The proposal must not prevent current and possible future financing schemes for the development of port infrastructure in relation to Danish practice. For example, the Ministry of Business and Growth should consider the possibility of municipal guarantees for public ports,
- there must be consistency between the proposal's definitions and existing EU legislation, in particular for ports and types of infrastructure,
- that general service interests (SGEI) should be included in the proposal, and that it should be defined what this covers in relation to Danish commercial ports,
- Maintenance and dredging are integral parts of port infrastructure. The state has certain dredging obligations in transit waters, among other things. It should be just as natural for the state to maintain and expand both the blue roads at sea and the gray roads on land, as this is in line with equal framework conditions for all modes of transport,
- it is necessary to invest in alternative fuel infrastructure and stricter requirements for environmentally friendly transport solutions. Therefore, it should be possible to provide support for these parts to the extent that it leads to innovation and new thinking,
- that the proposal does not open the door to much more state aid and speculation in loss-making activities,
- the proposal has the right coherence with existing legislation and EU strategy.
Read the Danish consultation response here Read the European Commission's proposal here For further information, please contact business policy consultant Bjarne Løf Henriksen