Discrimination against Polish shipyards in the light of the Commission's decision to approve state aid for the motor vehicle industry

4.3.2009

ORAL QUESTION H-0165/09
for Question Time at the part-session in April 2009
pursuant to Rule 109 of the Rules of Procedure
by Zbigniew Krzysztof Kuźmiuk
to the Commission

Having propped up their banks with tens of billions of euros in aid, several Member State governments have now decided to support the motor vehicle industry. The United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy wish to provide some tens of billions of euros in aid for the sector, and the Commission has in principle accepted this proposal unreservedly, despite the fact that such funding will distort competition on the market.

 

Without calling such support into question, I should like to ask why the Commission earlier objected to the state aid granted by the Polish Government to our shipyards.

 

As a result of the Commission's stance, two of Poland's shipyards closed and tens of thousands of people working at the shipyards and for suppliers were made redundant. In the light of the Commission's recent approval of aid for the motor vehicle industry, was that decision not discriminatory?

 

 

Tabled: 04.03.2009

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