Fincantieri — Stx France case
11.1.2019
Question for written answer E-000132-19
to the Commission
Rule 130
Raffaele Fitto (ECR) , Remo Sernagiotto (ECR) , Stefano Maullu (ECR)
The merger between Stx and Fincantieri stems from an agreement signed on 2 February 2018 by the governments of France and Italy which stipulates that Fincantieri will acquire 50% of the share capital of Stx France. With regard to this agreement, the Commission had already clarified that the turnover threshold for the proposed acquisition did not reach a ‘European dimension’ such as to justify its examination.
However, subsequently, France — which had signed the agreement only a few months earlier — decided to call into Question EU antitrust rules and submitted to the Commission a referral request pursuant to Article 22(1) of the EU Merger Regulation. Germany jointly signed France’s referral request. The EU antitrust authority has opened an investigation into Fincantieri’s acquisition, thereby accepting the request by France and Germany.
Can the Commission therefore answer the following questions:
- 1.Does it not think that this interruption of the procedure could have negative economic impacts on the European civil shipbuilding sector?
- 2.On what grounds did the EU antitrust authority decide to open the investigation against Fincantieri, given that there have been similar cases in the past for which no proceedings were initiated?
- 3.Does it not think that the EU antitrust authority, in order to be impartial and consistent with the Commission’s communications, should confirm the agreements already signed by the French Government and Fincantieri, thereby excluding any political influence?