Press Release: State aid: Commission approves €100 million aid for infrastructure at Port of Augusta, Sicily

The European Commission has approved under EU state aid rules aid totalling €100 million granted by Italy for an infrastructure investment project of €145.33 million at the Port of Augusta, in Sicily. The investment project will allow the Port of Augusta to upgrade existing infrastructure for cargo handling and to host container traffic.

The aid was found compatible with EU rules on state aid, because it serves an objective of common interest, i.e. adapting existent infrastructure to intermodal transport. Moreover, the public financing is necessary in order to make the project possible and the aid is limited to the amount strictly necessary in order to achieve this goal. Finally, the potential distortions of competition are relatively limited.