€24.3 MILLION AUSTRIAN MEASURE TO SUPPORT RAIL FREIGHT OPERATORS AFFECTED BY THE COVID-19
On 19 October, the European Commission approved a €24.3 million Austrian scheme to support the rail freight sector in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. This measure prolongs an existing aid scheme for the provision of rail freight services that was initially approved by the Commission in July 2012 (SA.33993) and subsequently prolonged and amended several times, most recently in May 2022 (SA.102132).
The approved measure allows for a 50% reduction in track access charges (i.e. the charges that railway companies have to pay for the use of the rail network) for the period between 1 July and 31 December 2022. The aim of the approved measure is to support rail freight operators by preserving their competitiveness as well as the benefits of the shift of freight traffic from road to rail achieved prior to the coronavirus pandemic. The Commission assessed the measure under EU state aid rules, and found that the measure facilitates the modal shift from road to rail whilst not leading to undue competition distortions. On this basis, the Commission approved the scheme under EU State aid rules. The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number SA.103636 in the State aid register on the Commission's competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved.
Source: European Commission