Press Release: State aid: Commission opens in-depth inquiry into €200 million restructuring aid for LOT Polish Airlines

The European Commission on 6 November 2013 opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether a PLN 804 million (around €200 million) restructuring aid for the ailing state-owned carrier LOT complies with EU state aid rules. The Commission will examine in particular whether the planned aid will enable LOT to become viable without continued public funding and whether the company offers adequate compensation to alleviate the distortion of competition caused by the state support. The Commission will also verify if LOT sufficiently contributes to the cost of restructuring.