Brussels, 24 March 2025
The European Commission has concluded that the compensation granted by the German federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg to Deutsche Bahn Regio AG (‘DB Regio’) for the provision of regional rail passenger transport services during the period 2002-2012 is compatible with EU State aid rules.
Following its in-depth investigation, the Commission concluded that the compensation paid under the public service contract did not lead to overcompensation and concluded that it is in line with EU State aid rules. In particular, the Commission assessed the German measure under (i) Regulation 1191/69 for what concerns the compensation paid from 15 December 2002 to 2 December 2009; and (ii) Regulation 1370/2007 for what concerns the compensation paid from 3 December 2009 to 15 December 2012.
The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number SA.18853 in the State aid register on the Commission’s competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved.