Press Release: European Commission approves conditional funding for Trasmediterránea

On 19.7.00 the European Commission authorised 'State aid' funding for Compañía Trasmediterránea, a Spanish ferry operator, to continue essential ferry services between the Spanish mainland, the Balearics, the Canary Islands, and Melilla. Since Spain did not give all EU operators an adequate chance to bid for the provision of the services, the Commission has decided that the tender procedure applied was illegal. In order to guarantee continuity of these essential services, aid will be provided for an 'interim period' of three and a half years, instead of the ten years originally foreseen.