Brussels, 3 October 2024
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €234 million Polish scheme to support the development of intermodal transport in Poland. The scheme will be funded by the national programme European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment 2021-2027, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund in the EU.
The purpose of the scheme is to develop intermodal transport as an alternative to road transport and improve the competitiveness of intermodal transport services in Poland. The scheme will run until 31 December 2029 and will be open to companies wanting to implement certain intermodal transport projects in Poland. The aid will take the form of direct grants and may cover up to 50% of eligible costs.
The scheme complements a previous scheme approved by the Commission in March 2024, which supports intermodal projects on Polish TEN-T Corridors. The scheme approved today extends the support to intermodal projects on the entire Polish rail network (TEN-T Corridors and regular tracks).
The Commission assessed the measure under EU State aid rules, in particular Article 93 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union on transport coordination. The Commission found that the scheme is necessary to coordinate transport and promote the use of intermodal transport, which is less polluting than road transport and reduces road congestion in line with the objectives of the EU Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and the European Green Deal. In addition, the Commission found that the aid will have an ‘incentive effect’ as the beneficiaries would not carry out the investments in the absence of the public support. Furthermore, the Commission found that the scheme is proportionate, as it is limited to the minimum necessary, and has a limited impact on competition and trade between Member States. Finally, the Commission found that the aid under the scheme is granted on non-discriminatory terms, being open to undertakings with a branch or representative office in Poland. On this basis, the Commission approved the Polish scheme under EU State aid rules.
The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the number SA.114260 in the State aid register on the Commission’s competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved.